“VENTSPILS REISS” – THE SAFEST PASSENGER CARRIER OF 2020

The municipal company “Ventspils reiss” has won the title of Latvia’s Safest Passenger Carrier for the eighth consecutive year in the annual “Safest Company Fleet” awards organised by BALTA JSC.

For the eighth consecutive year, the municipal company “Ventspils reiss” has received the highest honour—the Gold category award—and the title of Latvia’s Safest Passenger Carrier in the annual “Safest Company Fleet 2020” competition organised by the insurance company "Balta" and the Ministry of Transport . This year, the competition experts focused on successful crisis-management solutions and examples of good practice in maintaining fleet safety during the COVID-19 pandemic. The “Safest Company Fleet” awards have been held for eight years, and “Ventspils reiss” has participated every year. Since its first participation, the company’s performance has been rated outstanding.

Companies were assessed in four categories: passenger carriers; local (Baltic) freight carriers and special-purpose fleets; international freight carriers; and lower-risk, national and municipal fleets. Gold category awards were presented to 10 companies, while a total of 33 company, national and municipal fleets were honoured for their active and responsible contribution to improving road safety.

Participating in the closing discussion, “The road transport industry in crisis and life afterwards”, the company’s Chairman of the Board, Arturs Lieģis, acknowledged that considerable attention during this period had been devoted to working under stressful conditions and to reducing stress among employees, particularly bus drivers who, while performing their duties, come into contact with many people from different social groups. A. Lieģis emphasised the contribution of the workforce to overcoming the crisis, as many ideas for improving safety came directly from the employees themselves. The Chairman of the Board also pointed to the paradox that, although many services were cancelled during the crisis and there was a sharp decline in the number of passengers, the workload for the company’s employees had increased. He acknowledged that this period had highlighted the importance of rapid and precise communication with both employees and customers, as this is one of the factors that helps maintain calm—and therefore reduces stress. A calm and composed employee, in turn, is a reliable guarantee of a safe journey.

The aim of the competition is to identify the most skilled and responsible managers of company and municipal fleets in Latvia, as well as to improve overall road safety by introducing practical and positive changes in fleet management. The main benefit for a company is the opportunity to gain an independent assessment of its fleet’s strengths and areas for improvement, together with an individual evaluation and recommendations for improving fleet management in the future.

Photo: PSIA "Ventspils reiss"

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