# Duty of care in employee transport: what a company owes its people on the road - URL: https://www.shivshaktitoursandtravels.in/corporate-transport-guides/duty-of-care-in-employee-transport.html - Page title: Duty of Care in Employee Transport: A Guide - Summary: Duty of care in employee transport: what a company should check and write down for staff travel in Gujarat, from licences and vehicle papers to night drops. - Published: 2026-10-31 - Last updated: 2026-10-31 Risk Corporate transport guide When a company arranges the ride, employees expect the company to have checked it. This guide sets out, for HR, EHS and admin teams, the practical checks behind duty of care in employee transport: drivers, vehicles, routes, night travel, incidents and records. It is a planning guide, not legal advice. - HR heads - EHS and safety teams - Admin managers - Compliance - By [Vaibhaviba Bhavsinh Solanki](https://www.shivshaktitoursandtravels.in/author/vaibhaviba-bhavsinh-solanki.html) - Updated 31 October 2026 - 7 min read Executive summary - Duty of care means reasonable checks: licensed drivers, valid vehicle papers, safe routes and a plan for incidents. - Outsourcing does not remove it: the company checks the vendor; the vendor runs the checks every day. - Night travel needs extra rules: drop order, tracking, escalation. - Keep records: they show what was checked and when. This is practical guidance from a transport vendor, not legal advice; check your obligations with your advisers. - 8+ yrs in business, since 2018 - GST and MSME registered - 24/7 all shifts, one number - 4.9 rated on Google This guide is for companies buying transport. Car owners: we run our own fleet and are not adding cars from owners at the moment ([why](https://www.shivshaktitoursandtravels.in/answers/cars-and-fleet/attach-your-car/)). Quick answer Duty of care in employee transport means the company takes reasonable steps to keep staff safe on the rides it arranges: drivers with valid commercial licences, vehicles with valid permits, insurance, fitness and PUC, safety equipment, tracked trips, safe night-drop rules, a written incident procedure and records that show the checks were done. Chapter 01 ## What does duty of care mean for employee transport? Taking reasonable, foreseeable-risk steps on the rides the company arranges: who drives, what they drive, where and when, and what happens if something goes wrong. Once a company arranges transport, employees reasonably assume someone has checked the driver and the vehicle. Duty of care is meeting that assumption with real, recorded checks. It covers five areas: the driver, the vehicle, the route and timing, incidents, and records. Outsourcing moves the daily work to the vendor but not the company's interest in the outcome. A sound arrangement has the vendor doing the checks and the company able to see them. Chapter 02 ## What should be checked in each area? Licences and conduct for drivers, papers and equipment for vehicles, timings and drop rules for routes, a written procedure for incidents, and records for all of it. What we can show a company on request. | Area | What to check | How we handle it | |---|---|---| | Driver | Commercial licence, conduct, rest | Licence checked before driving for us; briefed on customer service and safe driving; rest between duties; serious complaint = off the route | | Vehicle | RC, insurance, permit, fitness, PUC; safety equipment | Kept valid and shown on request; fire extinguisher, working seat belts, spare tyre and tools in every car; all cars air-conditioned | | Before each shift | Vehicle condition | Pre-trip check of tyres, fuel and lights | | Route and timing | Realistic plans, night drops | GPS on every vehicle; drivers may not change an assigned trip without office approval | | Incident | Procedure and communication | Passengers' safety first, replacement car sent, company told right away | | Records | Proof of checks | Service and inspection records per car; written log of breakdowns and replacements | Chapter 03 ## What extra care does night travel need? A written drop order and rules for the last drop, live tracking, a coordinator who can be reached, and female drivers when the company asks. - Drop order: agreed in the policy, including rules for the last passenger on a route. - Live tracking: GPS on every vehicle, with a portal login for your security or HR team. - Reachability: one number, 24/7, and a coordinator for large accounts. - Female drivers are available on request. - No unapproved changes: drivers may not change an assigned trip without office approval; GPS shows any change. See [night-shift transport risk management](https://www.shivshaktitoursandtravels.in/corporate-transport-guides/night-shift-transport-risk-management.html) and [women employee transport](https://www.shivshaktitoursandtravels.in/sanand-gidc/women-employee-transport.html). Chapter 04 ## What should happen after an accident or breakdown? Passengers first, a replacement vehicle sent, the company told right away, then a written record and a review. - Passengers' safety first. The driver makes the scene safe and calls for help where needed. - Replacement vehicle. Sent to complete the trip. - Company informed. Your coordinator is called right away. - Written record. Logged with time, place and action taken. - Review. Repeat problems lead to changes in route, vehicle or driver. See our [accident and incident procedure](https://www.shivshaktitoursandtravels.in/sanand-gidc/accident-incident-procedure.html). Chapter 05 ## How should a company review duty of care in its transport? Ask for the documents, inspect a sample of vehicles, ride a route, read the incident log and agree how often you will repeat it. - Ask for the papers. RC, insurance, permit, fitness and PUC for the vehicles on your routes, and the drivers' licence checks. - Inspect vehicles. Companies may inspect the fleet before signing and audit the vendor later. - Ride a route. At the hardest time of day, usually the late or night drop. - Read the log. Breakdowns, replacements, complaints and actions. - Agree a schedule. Who reviews what, and how often, written into the contract. ### Questions to ask before you sign - Will you show us every vehicle's papers, and tell us before one is due for renewal? - How do you check a driver before they drive for us? - What is your written incident procedure? - Can our employees report a safety concern confidentially? - Will you share your written safety policy? Key terms ## Duty-of-care terms - **Duty of care:** The responsibility to take reasonable steps to keep people safe from harm you can foresee. - **Commercial licence:** The driving licence needed to drive a commercial (yellow-plate) vehicle for hire. - **Fitness certificate:** The certificate that a commercial vehicle is roadworthy. - **PUC:** Pollution Under Control certificate for a vehicle. - **Escalation:** Who is called, in what order, when something goes wrong on a trip. - **Incident log:** A written record of breakdowns, accidents, complaints and what was done. In Gujarat ## Where we run company transport in Gujarat Shiv Shakti Tours & Travels runs employee and executive transport from a head office in Ghatlodiya, Ahmedabad and a branch at Hansalpur Circle, Becharaji, next to the SMG (Maruti Suzuki) plant, with some cars and drivers based near Sanand and in Vadodara. - Becharaji and the SMG plant area Plant gates and vendor units; our branch is at Hansalpur Circle Link: https://www.shivshaktitoursandtravels.in/becharaji-plants/ - Sanand GIDC Industrial estates in Sanand; cars and drivers based nearby Link: https://www.shivshaktitoursandtravels.in/sanand-gidc/ - Vithalapur and Mandal Units in the Vithalapur industrial area Link: https://www.shivshaktitoursandtravels.in/vithalapur-industrial-area/ - Changodar Shift transport for units along the Changodar belt Link: https://www.shivshaktitoursandtravels.in/answers/shift-transport/monthly-shift-transport-in-changodar/ - Ahmedabad Offices, airport accounts and staff pickups Link: https://www.shivshaktitoursandtravels.in/corporate/ahmedabad-corporate-taxi-service.html - Gandhinagar and GIFT City Office shifts and government movements Link: https://www.shivshaktitoursandtravels.in/answers/shift-transport/monthly-shift-transport-in-gandhinagar-and-gift-city/ - Vadodara Some cars and drivers based in Vadodara Link: https://www.shivshaktitoursandtravels.in/answers/shift-transport/monthly-shift-transport-in-vadodara/ - Mehsana and Kadi Staff pickup towns for North Gujarat plants Link: https://www.shivshaktitoursandtravels.in/answers/shift-transport/staff-pickups-from-mehsana/ - Viramgam and Bavla Staff pickup towns between Ahmedabad and the plants Link: https://www.shivshaktitoursandtravels.in/answers/shift-transport/staff-pickups-from-viramgam/ Short answers ## Short answers from this guide - What is duty of care in employee transport? Reasonable, recorded checks on the rides a company arranges. Link: https://www.shivshaktitoursandtravels.in/answers/transport-decisions/duty-of-care-for-employee-transport/ - Does outsourcing transport transfer duty of care? The vendor does the daily checks; the company still checks the vendor. Link: https://www.shivshaktitoursandtravels.in/answers/transport-decisions/does-outsourcing-transfer-duty-of-care/ - Which vehicle documents should a company check? RC, insurance, commercial permit, fitness and PUC. Link: https://www.shivshaktitoursandtravels.in/answers/transport-decisions/vehicle-documents-to-check/ - What safety equipment should a company car carry? Fire extinguisher, working seat belts, spare tyre with jack and tools. Link: https://www.shivshaktitoursandtravels.in/answers/transport-decisions/safety-equipment-in-company-cars/ - What happens after an accident on a company trip? Safety first, a replacement vehicle, the company told at once. Link: https://www.shivshaktitoursandtravels.in/answers/transport-decisions/what-happens-after-a-transport-accident/ - All 100 corporate transport answers One page per question, in the Knowledge Hub Link: https://www.shivshaktitoursandtravels.in/answers/transport-decisions/ Questions ## Duty-of-care questions from HR and EHS teams **Does outsourcing transfer duty of care to the vendor?** The vendor runs the daily checks under the contract, but the company should still check the vendor. This is practical guidance, not legal advice. **How do you check drivers?** We check each driver's commercial driving licence before they drive for us and brief them on customer service and safe driving. **Are your vehicles commercially permitted and insured?** Yes. All cars are commercially permitted and insured, and the papers are shown to companies on request. **What safety equipment is in each car?** A fire extinguisher, working seat belts and a spare tyre with jack and tools. **Can our employees report a safety concern privately?** Yes, confidentially and directly to our owner. **Will you share a written safety policy?** Yes. A written safety policy and written data-handling procedures can be shared with companies. **What happens to a driver after a serious complaint?** The driver is taken off that company's route. **Can we audit you?** Yes. Vendor audits are allowed, and companies may inspect the fleet before signing. Next step ## Ask for a proposal Tell us the company, the location and what you need to move. We reply with our vendor documents and a proposal; nothing is sent until you press a button. Your enquiry Transport enquiry from a company. Send by email Car owners: we run our own fleet and are not adding cars from owners at the moment. Keep reading ## Related guides and vendor files - Night-shift transport: managing the risks Drops, drivers, tracking and escalation after dark Link: https://www.shivshaktitoursandtravels.in/corporate-transport-guides/night-shift-transport-risk-management.html - Due diligence on a transport vendor The documents and checks before you sign Link: https://www.shivshaktitoursandtravels.in/corporate-transport-guides/transport-vendor-due-diligence.html - A scorecard for your transport vendor Eight measures to review every month Link: https://www.shivshaktitoursandtravels.in/corporate-transport-guides/transport-vendor-scorecard-kpis.html - Vehicle compliance documents What we keep valid Link: https://www.shivshaktitoursandtravels.in/sanand-gidc/vehicle-compliance-documents.html - Transport vendor files 20 files: requirements, contract steps, reporting Link: https://www.shivshaktitoursandtravels.in/transport-vendor/ - All corporate transport guides 20 decision guides for HR, admin and purchase Link: https://www.shivshaktitoursandtravels.in/corporate-transport-guides/ Sources ## Where the facts come from - Owner-confirmed company facts (9 October 2026 questionnaires): licence checks, valid RC, insurance, permit, fitness and PUC shown on request, backup car typically within about an hour for a plant shift, GPS portal login, daily trip report, SLA and NDA on request, vendor audits, invoices split by cost centre, utilisation reports on request. - Owner-confirmed 9 October 2026 (third questionnaire): safety equipment in every car, pre-trip checks, rest between duties, incident log, written safety policy, confidential reports to the owner. Cite this guide: Vaibhaviba Bhavsinh Solanki, "Duty of Care in Employee Transport: A Guide", Shiv Shakti Tours & Travels, updated 31 October 2026, https://www.shivshaktitoursandtravels.in/corporate-transport-guides/duty-of-care-in-employee-transport.html SST Written by [Vaibhaviba Bhavsinh Solanki](https://www.shivshaktitoursandtravels.in/author/vaibhaviba-bhavsinh-solanki.html), owner of Shiv Shakti Tours & Travels: GST and MSME registered, 8+ years in business (since 2018), with a head office in Ghatlodiya, Ahmedabad and a branch at Hansalpur Circle, Becharaji. We name no company as a client without its written approval. Facts last checked 31 October 2026. Spotted something out of date? [Tell us](https://www.shivshaktitoursandtravels.in/contact.html). Company desk ## Reviewing safety in your transport? Ask for our vehicle papers, safety policy and incident procedure. We send them with a proposal. Shiv Shakti Tours & Travels · Head office: B-50, First Floor, Jay Bhanu Society, Gate No. 2, Ghatlodiya, Ahmedabad 380061 · Branch: Hansalpur Circle, Becharaji, Gujarat 384210 · contact@shivshaktitoursandtravels.in · Open 24/7 ## Contact - Book or ask: call or WhatsApp +91 99745 30788 (24/7), contact@shivshaktitoursandtravels.in - Branch: Hansalpur Circle, Becharaji, Near SMG (Maruti Suzuki) Plant, Gujarat 384210 - Head office: B-50, First Floor, Jay Bhanu Society, Gate No. 2, Ghatlodiya, Ahmedabad, Gujarat 380061 - Fares are indicative and confirmed on call; tolls, parking, state tax and the 20% night charge (10 PM to 6 AM) are extra.