Better Drivers
We help urban passenger drivers become better at their job
Developed in Partnership by
With the help of the Erasmus+ Programme
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the ANPCDEFP. Neither the European Union nor the ANPCDEFP can be held responsible for them.
About the Project
PROBLEM:
Working with many drivers throughout the past few years, we realised they are suffering from a lack of ability to deal with certain social situations.
SERVICE:
Transporting passengers (in regular cars) is not just a matter of getting from point A to point B. It's a full service offering which implies some basic communication skills, social interaction, engaging with different state or private organisations, etc.
ACCREDITATION:
But in order to become a passenger driver in Romania (and other European countries), one should only pass a technical driving exam. Nothing related to social skills of any kind. Thus, the actual state-recognised qualification teaches the graduate only the very basic (yet vital) aspects of his future profession.
The solution: Educating Drivers
We decided to embark in a transnational educational journey within and with the help of the European Union.
Research
Together we will methodically research the market to better pinpoint drivers issues and fears.
Training
Then we'll organise workshops and coaching sessions with the TCD drivers. The interactive content will be based on the research data and the drivers stories.
Guide
All the knowledge gathered within these exploratory and training phases will then be curated into an attractive guide made available for drivers from all EU countries.
Partner Organizations
TCD Transport Direct
Passenger Transport Company
We are a small company created 2 years ago. We provide ride-sharing transportation for passengers in urban areas, working with non-professional drivers as our employees.
Very soon we realised that working in this field we faced a lot of challenges: legislation (not "friendly" for small enterprises), understanding passenger behaviour is vital, lack of teamwork skills of the non-professional drivers.
Based on the problem identified through the focus-groups in our organisation with drivers and with other companies acting in ride-sharing transportation for passengers in urban areas, we set as objectives:
- Improving our drivers communication skills
- Increasing quality of our services and
- Developing our cooperation capacity at European level through creation of a network of ride-sharing transportation companies
Step First Institute
Education and Learning Center
STEP FIRST INSTITUTE is an adult education institution and learning center founded in 2020 focused on the development of lifelong learning skills. We believe in diversity, equality, inclusion, respect for individual personality. We have an experienced staff comprising of a number of external associate experts.
Our Institute focuses on the following learning programs:
- Training courses for professional and personal development
- Entrepreneurship courses
- International study program (undergraduate, postgraduate)
All our training programs use NLP coaching tools and strategies and are designed according to the latest scientific knowledge of Oxford Mindfulness Centre and NeuroLeadership Institute.
Only educational institution in Croatia that has a certified and licensed lectures by these institutions. We want to include drivers' education in our portofolio, as this business became vital for major cities and has been growing fast recently.
Updates from the Team
The Research Phase
04.11.2022Our first priority is to confirm our initial knowledge with regards to our target group: passenger drivers.
TCD Transport, as a coordinating body within this project, has already identified certain areas which drivers need help with, such as: communication, dealing with stressful situations, or crisis management.
In order to validate these notions, we started the first phase of this project: the research phase. At this stage we're working with a market research agency which will perform both quanititative (questionnaires) and qualitative (interviews) research. The research will conclude with a report which will process the findings.
The Research Results
15.04.2023Our market research efforts, made possible by IziData, revealed some of the generalised issues that ridesharing drivers experience during their work hours. These range from socially difficult situations to problems with the technology provider (Uber/Bolt).
We interviewed 10 drivers and managed to produce 200 questionnaire fills. We used both qualitative and quantitative research methods.
Drivers would value a standardised source of information which would guide them through the bureaucratic process of becoming a ridesharing driver and the interaction with the client.
Since our focus is on the social aspects, here are some examples of problems drivers encounter while dealing with their customers:
- Unannounced cancellations
- Poor communication
- Aggressive or drunk clients
- Insisting on discussing controversial topics
- Not paying for the ride
- No greetings / goodbyes
- Asking for more stops than the ride originally had
- Disrespectful behaviour (dirtying the interior, slamming doors)
If you want to check the entire report and more findings, you can download the file here.
Course Development
01.06.2023After deeply analysing the drivers' wants and needs in the research phase, the next step was developing a series of workshops.
Based on our findings, a group of experienced professors from Institut Prvi korak put together interactive content for an effective learning experience. With their rich background in higher education, they tailored the materials to be perfectly suitable for the drivers.
The course was divided in 7 parts, covering relevant topics, such as:
1. Communication
2. Soft skills
3. Bureaucracy
4. Personal branding
5. First-aid training
6. Safety and self-defense
7. Mental and physical health
The workshop sessions will feature practical examples, inspired by the drivers' stories. This will enable the participants to reflect and seek solutions, to be more prepared in real situations.
Updates on the workshops are coming soon, see for yourself how easy it is to become better at your job.
The Research Report
26.07.2023We deposited our qualitative & quantitative research dataset report on Zenodo, a general-purpose open repository developed under the European OpenAIRE program.
Check our Research Report.
Course Completed
31.07.2023The workshop update you've been waiting for!
Our soft-skill course for ridesharing drivers has now finished.
We covered the following topics: communication, safety & self-defense and finally first-aid training.
Here are some pictures from our course sessions:
Communication
is key to connect with clients
Communication
great skills make you better drivers!
Communication
nonverbal communication represents 55%
Communication
this topic was engaging & educational
Conflict Resolution
always keep the conversation light & positive
Conflict Resolution
keep calm when dealing with difficult clients
Self-defense
Mister Dumitru showed us how to take action!
Self-defense
better be safe than sorry!
First-aid Training
knowing this helps provide quick assistance
First-aid Training
provide first aid until the paramedics arrive
What a journey this has been so far!
01.03.2024We have completed the course and the free digital guide for ridesharing drivers everywhere! With an appealing design and all the relevant knowledge for drivers, the guide is available for anyone, anywhere, at anytime, on betterdrivers.eu
It contains specific solutions for all of your problems! We did all the hard work, research, finding solutions and we put it all together in our FREE online guide just for you to have easy access to it with just one click!
Don't hesitate to tell your ridesharing colleagues about us and improve their experience as well!
Made possible by TCD Transport Direct in partnership with Partus Akademija with the help of Erasmus+RO.