Friday 14 November 2008

G4S: breaking the law

















Pedestrians to the left and right of this driver on the pavement. A Group 4 Securicor (G4S) bullion van, outside the HSBC bank on Hoe Street E17 at 9.45 a.m. yesterday. Reg. KB06 OBA

This is not an isolated case. G4S is a company whose drivers flout road traffic law both in this borough and elsewhere. Camden Council has in the past taken a tough line with the company but Waltham Forest seems to turn a blind eye to G4S vehicles being driven onto the pavement and parked. G4S drivers regularly drive on to the footway here.

If you raise this with G4S you will get a slippery reply saying that the safety of their staff is a top priority. (Whereas the safety of pedestrians isn’t, of course.) But G4S is not exempt from road traffic law, and G4S vehicles are not allowed to drive on pavements or park there. I have noticed that bullion vans belonging to other security companies do not park on the pavement when making deliveries or collections from this HSBC branch.

G4S claims that we can always be trusted to do the right thing.

Not when it comes to road traffic law or pedestrian safety, they can't.

I think someone should warn the G4S press office that there’s a blogger who is on to their corporate hypocrisy and lawlessness, which might bring them some adverse publicity.

media@uk.g4s.com