WHAT IS ROSCO?

Rewarding safe driving

Aims and Objectives

Inaugurated in 1955, the aims and objectives of the Road Operators’ Safety Council (ROSCO) were and still are:

* to promote among owners and operators of road transport vehicles and their employees, measures to prevent accidents and encourage safety on the road
* to promote, organise, encourage and support schemes and competitions, under which awards may be made to employees of the owners or operators of road transport vehicles, for freedom from accidents and for safe driving
* to encourage and support associations or corporate bodies, representing owners, operators and employees with regard to all matters relating to road safety and freedom from accidents
* to encourage and support research and experiments into accident prevention
* to encourage and support the dissemination and provision of publicity for any information acquired in connection with the above objectives.

Relationship to the industry

ROSCO was founded by associations representing road transport employers and by trade unions. The ROSCO Safe Driving Awards scheme began in 1955 and superceded a previously existing scheme. A Conductors’ Award of Merit scheme was also started, which by 1960 had over 50,000 entrants.
Today the Conductors’ scheme has all but gone, with the almost universal adoption of single person operation.

ROSCO is governed by a Council of 12 members, including representatives of bus and coach companies, other industry organisations and trade unions. Some of these representatives are appointed through the trade association, the Confederation of Passenger Transport UK. ROSCO maintains close links with other transport bodies and associations working to promote road safety and safe driving, and responds to consultations on safety-related issues.

ROSCO gears up for Coach & Bus Live

The Road Operators' Safety Council will again be attending this years Coach & Bus Live event at the NEC on the 5th and 6th of October... more ...

ROSCO Administration enhancements

To provide a more effective service to our valued members, the ROSCO administration office has changed to provide a more comprehensive service... more ...

ROSCO Posters

A new range of posters have been launched by ROSCO for the benefits of members. Based on ‘core values’ , the posters cover key messages that contribute to safe and fuel efficient driving by professional drivers... more ...

Awards at Stagecoach Oxfordshire

Publicity, Workshops, AwayDays

Since the 1990s ROSCO has offered its members a newsletter Safety First three times a year, which includes an update of ROSCO’s activities as well as features on topical safety issues. For 2010, this will become electronic distributed regularly and supported by updated website content.

Posters for display on staff noticeboards and in training departments, leaflets on safety issues and vinyls for display on vehicles, are other regular ways in which ROSCO over the years has disseminated safety messages to its members and kept them alert to the latest safety challenges. More recently, ROSCO has run one day training workshops, providing members with a forum to discuss recent research and innovations in promoting safe driving and in addition, ROSCO has also arranged away days offering members practical opportunities to learn more about safe driving techniques and practices.

Membership of ROSCO

For over 50 years ROSCO has administered the national industry-wide annual Safe Driving Awards scheme. Entries for 2009 currently comprise of over 44,000 drivers, employed by more than 100 companies. A cost effective fee is charged to the company to cover the costs of the scheme. A survey showed that of those surveyed (which included both existing ROSCO member companies and non-members) 90% considered the ROSCO scheme useful or very useful in improving a company’s safety record. A wide range of companies enter the scheme – there is no maximum or minimum number of drivers that can be entered, and it is as relevant to large bus companies as it is to modest small enterprises.