West Midlands ring and ride announces first driver of the year

West Midlands Special Needs Transport’s (WMSNT) competition to find its Ring and Ride Driver of the Year recently reached its conclusion. The competition was organised in conjunction with WMSNT’s fleet supplier, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, which is providing the top prize of a two-night stay in Hanover for the winner and runner-up.

The first round of the competition saw more than 500 drivers from WMSNT’s eight depots awarded points for different aspects of their job including driving ability, presentation, time-keeping, vehicle maintenance inspections and feedback from customers. This appraisal lasted three months, with the driver receiving the most points from each of the eight depots going through to the final.

Here, the finalists had their driving skills assessed by Sergeant Craig Coles, Senior Instructor from the West Midlands Police Driving School. They were tasked with driving one of WMSNT’s Volkswagen LT minibuses along a demanding route through a very busy part of Birmingham. Sergeant Coles praised the driving ability of all eight finalists, remarking that his task was made difficult by the high standard.

The eventual winner was John Gray, who has been with the WMSNT Wolverhampton depot since May 2004; runner-up, Paul Guest, joined the Dudley depot in November 2003. Mike Owens, Brand Communications Manager for Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, awarded the winner and runner-up with their prizes.

Gary Clarke, Chairman of the Passenger Transport Authority for the West Midlands, presented all the finalists with cash prizes and commended WMSNT for the excellent service it provides and the high standards it sets.

John Gray and Paul Guest are now looking forward to their trip to Hanover, where they will enjoy the sites and attractions of the city, and receive a guided tour of the Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles factory. Mr Gray will also be the first WMSNT driver to take delivery of the new Volkswagen Crafter.

Through its Ring and Ride operation, WMSNT is the world’s fourth largest provider of door-to-door transport for people with mobility problems. Operating a fleet of over 300 Volkswagen minibuses, the service completes more than two million trips a year for the charity’s 64,000 registered users. A further 200,000 trips a year are made taking children with disabilities to and from Special Needs Schools in the West Midlands.