SECURITY firm G4S has launched an investigation after pictures appeared to show an employee driving on a busy city street while holding a mobile phone.
The security worker can be seen holding the phone up to his right ear as he drives a G4S van on Princes Street, Edinburgh.
The driver appears oblivious to the fact he is being photographed as he turns the corner in a nonchalant manner, using only his left hand to steer the wheel.
The pictures, taken on Monday morning, were obtained by Scotland’s Worst Drivers, a website which campaigns for safe and legal driving.
A spokesman for the site condemned the driver’s behaviour, saying: “Three points and £100 fine is clearly not a big enough deterrent for drivers.
“Too many are prepared to risk the safety of themselves and others to make that life or death phone call.”
On the G4S website, the company claim that their “culture is defined by values, beliefs and behaviours”.
On safety they say: “We prioritise safety management to protect the health and well-being of our colleagues and those around us.”
Andrew Kelly, Area Director Scotland and North, G4S Cash Solutions (UK) said: “As is standard all our vehicles are fitted with hands free equipment and we expect all our drivers to act safely while on the road.
“A full investigation into this matter has begun and I would like to thank the member of the public for bringing this to our attention.
“The crew member concerned will receive a formal review and driver retraining as a consequence of his actions.”
This development comes as further bad news for the security firm who came under fire almost four years ago when it could not provide enough guards for the London Olympics.
The government were forced to deploy over 1,000 military personnel to help out with security after G4S suffered a last minute staffing shortage.
Drivers caught using a hand-held phone whilst driving will usually receive 3 penalty points and a fine of £100.
G4S employ over 623,000 people across six continents.
