Why should my driving licence be essential?
Since joining Campaign for Better Transport a few months ago, I’ve become increasingly aware of how readily our car-centric thinking permeates through so many aspects of our society. I want to reflect on just one example, where creative thinking from business leaders and local authorities could show real climate leadership: that of the ‘essential car user’.
Personally, I don’t drive; or at least, I haven’t for about 18 years. I had lessons at 17, passed my test first time and was good to go. There was just one problem: I hated driving. I hated the stress of getting lost, of having to constantly make quick decisions. I hated driving at night. I drove regularly for around three or four years, and in all that time there was never a point where I felt confident or happy about it. I questioned just how necessary it really was, drove less and less often, and, after moving to London in my 20s, I stopped driving altogether.
Of course, it’s easy to not drive in London. Buses come every few minutes, underground trains even more frequently, and cycle lanes have become commonplace. Driving in the city is probably one of the slower forms of transport. Whilst in London I had three jobs that required regular travel between locations, and being car-free was never a barrier.
In my early 30s I moved to Hertford, and after a further two years of commuting to London, I started looking for local job opportunities. At this point, my heart started to sink. So many roles had ‘driving licence and access to own vehicle essential’, as part of the description, or were otherwise badged as ‘essential car user’ positions. My CV meant I had the skills and experience for the roles, and I knew that I would be able to manage the travel aspect using bike and public transport. Was it really the case that I was excluded from even throwing my hat in just because I didn’t drive?
I’m afraid at this point, I must confess to some, creative interpretation of the ‘essential car user’ requirement. Over the next nine years, I held four positions which had stipulated a requirement for driving, and all of which I conducted without a car. The first role involved home visiting and was probably the most challenging of the roles. Transport from east to west was typically slow and intermittent. I’m not a particularly fast cyclist, but still, there were many times when travel by bike was quicker than bus. I set out early and organised appointments to maximise co-ordination with trains. It worked, just about, but would’ve worked much more easily were buses more frequent than hourly, were adapted to carry bikes and were better coordinated with train timetables.
From there, I determined that my ‘driving licence essential’ positions really did not necessitate a car. Yes, there was travel to meetings, but it wasn’t a big deal, especially with on-train Wi-Fi access. Definitely nothing that I would class as ‘essential’. Following mass transition to Teams during the pandemic, any travel became even less essential.
Now in a role where a driving licence is not essential, I ask businesses and local authorities to look at their own role requirements, and if ‘driving licence essential’ is stipulated, question whether this is truly the case. In our post-pandemic world, we have seen already just how much interaction can take place online. But even for visiting roles, or where in-person meetings are preferred, is it really a requirement that a car is used to get there? Or is the requirement simply that the employee can get there in a timely manner? If the job description clearly outlines any travel requirements, why not trust potential applicants to judge for themselves if they can take on the role as a non-driver? And to local authorities, you are leaders, and you are the providers of public transport. You are the ones best placed to ensure that a driving licence – at least for any non-driver roles – is never ‘essential’.
In 2013, research from the Institute of Transport Studies found that 77 per cent of jobseekers in British cities outside London do not have regular access to a car, van or motorbike. This rose to 87 per cent for jobseekers aged 18-24. It’s clear that by demanding a driving licence and car access for roles, employers are shrinking the workforce they could potentially pool from. Raymond Blanc seems to understand this. Last year, he self-funded a rural bus service to his Michelin star restaurant in Oxfordshire. The number 46 now runs until 2am seven days a week, widening the employment catchment pool with staff being able to travel to and from work easily and at low cost.
Our recently published ‘business tool kit’, Better Transport for Better Business, includes practical solutions on how to support your staff members to move away from the car. It is a hard-headed, pro-business report, drawn up with the help of the business community itself, which shows how doing the right thing environmentally can increase productivity, widen the workforce pool available, bring more customers and ultimately increase profits. Driving licence not required… this is simply better transport for better business.
