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news
Capita vanCapita apologises for “offensive and inappropriate” cyclist tally decal on one of its vans
Capita plc has apologised for what it described as an “offensive and inappropriate” decal that a road.cc reader spotted on one of its highway maintenance vans in west London last week. It showed a ‘cyclist tally’ similar to the markings denoting enemy planes shot down that pilots would display on the side of their aircraft during World War Two.
The road.cc reader noticed the decal on the van as it was being driven on Cromwell Road last Tuesday, and was quick-minded enough to take a photo of the vehicle.
While the decal is not clear in the picture, the reader was able to find versions of it being sold on eBay (as shown bottom left in the picture above), accompanied by icons depicting a dog, wheelchair user and a pensioner using a Zimmer frame, each with their own tally alongside them.
A number of sellers on the online marketplace sell similar decals, some of them customisable, and with sales in some cases running into the hundreds of stickers.
“I would like to believe it's the number of bikes the driver of the vehicle owns, but suspect not,” our reader told us.
“What made it more offensive is that it was on a Capita highway maintenance vehicle, stupid on their part as they are supposed to be working for all road users and looking after their safety.”
We contacted Capita for their response to the picture, and after investigation a spokesperson for the company told road.cc: “We can confirm that one of our drivers had applied an offensive and inappropriate decal to one of our vans.
“The decal has now been removed and we have commenced a disciplinary process.
“We are sorry that this individual’s actions fell way below our corporate standards and values.”
Capita is a leading provider of outsourcing services to the public and private sector.
Last year it announced that its contract with Transport for London (TfL) to manage the capital’s Low Emission Zone (LEZ), Congestion Charge, Direct Vision Standards and recently introduced Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) had been extended for a further five years from its expiry in October 2021.
The FTSE-250 company also works on highways projects for local authorities in London and elsewhere throughout the country, including installing cycle lanes, and the spokesperson added: “We are proud to have worked on a number of schemes to make Britain’s roads safer for cyclists, pedestrians and drivers.”
To purchase some cycle-friendly stickers, head over to the road.cc shop.
Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
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28 comments
As both a cyclist and a motorcyclist, I know how tough dealing with traffic can be. But why is it today that we get so upset over some words and pictures. Last I heard we were living in a country where free speech and expression are allowed. Whether or not you or I find the depiction funny is irrelevant. Does the depiction make the owner a vindictive road user killer ; probably not, seems like they are trying to be funny to me, But that does not give me reason or the right to chastise then on such limited data . By making this ' news', We are encouraging an 'I'm sorry' culture, normalising the use of the term and devaluing the sincerity of it. Additionally and more worryingly, this normalises the use of a increasingly disproportionate responses deemed to be necessary to appease the offended individuals. So what I hear you say, well I'm sure it's fine until you're in the receiving end of some draconian punishment like losing your job, for something that really shouldn't matter. There used to be a time when we could have some fun, some would laugh, others would sigh at a bad joke, the worst that happened would be a roll of the eyes in disapproval. Now we demand retribution and generate hate, when it might just be us with the problem, so take a moment to think before posting. Laugh, don't laugh, but move on, life is too short people. I'm too busy trying to stay safe on the road to allow my mind to get clouded by somebody else's opinions or humour.
Things taken in isolation may seem trivial at the time, and a reprimand may seem over the top. However, how else do you stop this behaviour? Laughing at it, or doing nothing says it's ok to keep doing it. And some may push it further in order to get the shock reaction they are looking for. If you remember watching 60s, 70s comedy shows, you don't remember them being offensive to you or others. They were funny. However, watching them now (e.g. Alf Garnett) it can be awkward and you realise why some people found them offensive. Mainly the people that were the butt of the jokes. Someone working in a city institution will know the extensive diversity education they have to do, to make it a welcoming place for all. I expect there is a lot less of that type of training in a construction firm, and the butt of the banter has to accept stuff they wouldn't in a bank. I expect this driver thought it was funny, but their actions could negatively impact his employers recruitment opportunities and potential clients and hence their profitability. It was correct to report it and I expect Capita are pleased it was reported so it could be stopped before it caused too much reputational damage. The driver would likely be sacked. They would be if they worked for a bank.
Putting personal decals on a work vehicle isn't a great idea anyway, but there's another motorist in a personal car who is in the crosshairs in the news on here because they have a similar sticker. Let's move away from the work vehicle here as I'm more concerned about Joe publics right to put what they want on there car.
You imply that they are doing something wrong by saying we need to stop this behaviour, but really what it's it they are doing wrong. Nothing in the eyes if the law for a start. Why is it that we feel we should get offended on behalf of others? If you actually talk to disabled people, or other persons targeted by jokes, many of them delighted to be treated normally , enjoying banter; just because they are disabled doesn't mean they don't have a sense of humour. Stephen hawking had a wicked sense of humour, There are many current comedy acts that take the mick out of themselves because they are 'different', short, fat, palsy, speech impediment, there are countless examples who own there condition. Participating in society without a label allows them to be normal, that's all they want is to be treated normally. By saying ohh that's bad I feel for them, we are actually insulting them more because we are saying that they can't stand up for themselves, or that they need defending. My uncle used to get so annoyed with people opening doors for him cause he didn't have any legs and was in a wheelchair. We need to concentrate on our own lives and not get involved in others perspectives. We are wrong in what we think they are thinking much more often than not. This pretend road kill sticker is just not offensive enough to burst a blood vessel over. There are far worse things in society we should be collectively turning our attention too solving or preventing paedophilia, rape and the issue of homelessness.
opening a door for a disabled person versus making a joke about their disability are completely different. Being disabled and making jokes about your own disability versus listening to someone else making you the butt of their joke is completely different. A mental health expert will be able to explain better. Putting these stickers on your own vehicle, poor taste and might reflect a subconscious intent or just a reference of 'not the 9'oclock news'. Putting on a works vehicle needs reporting for the sake of the company that owns the logos on the vehicle. If the sticker had shown KKK or a swastika, they'd be prosecuted regardless. Cyclists getting killed by drivers isn't a joke, but at least at the moment there isn't an organisation whose intent is to kill cyclists therefore the stickers don't need to be illegal. I won't be laughing at them though, as i know plenty of riders hit by cars.
Whack some of these reports in...
Done
Done.
Not funny, nor "accidents"
Crass sticker.
Are we supposed to make a note of all the bold letters in your posts, then rearrange them to make a seasonal sentence?
There is only 1 bold letter. For some reason I can only post if I hit the bold tab first. It's only particular to this website's comments page.
I've found that when that happens, toggling the format dropdown allows me to start typing.
Good ol' road.cc.
Fine if the arsehole wants one of these on his personal car, but to put it on a corporate vehicle is the height of dumbness.
I'd think that would be considered very telling of a driver's attitude to cyclists if they caused an accident and had to defend themselves in court. It could easily be used against them.
would probably be removed quire quickly in the event of an accident
That'd be an interesting case - I wonder if they would get charged for murder/manslaughter as the stickers could be a sign of premeditation.
Far more important is why the Road.cc stickers are so bland. We could do with some variety (maybe YPLAC stickers?)
In truth, I suspect they would be sentenced to remove the sticker for a period of four months, suspended for one year. And that's assuming the prosecution could make it stick.
You are presuming that the driver has an attitude toward cyclists just because they have a sticker on their car?, maybe they just found it humorous... If it said, death to cyclists in big bloody letters I'd be tempted to agree with you.
Actually they should make all drivers have these etched into their paintwork if they have been in an accident with pedestrians or cyclists, at least we'd know which drivers to watch out for.
I imagine the driver usually uses that vehicle so thinks of it as "his vehicle". Probably got a teddy bear cable-tied to the front bumper, too.
The fiend!
I expect so otherwise they would have struggled to discipline somebody as the claim would have been "anyone could put that on."
Obviously that is assuming Capita are actually doing any actual disciplinary really.
Amazes me how stupid some people can be.
Not me. Think of the most stupid something there could be and multiply by 5 and you are about on target for the 21st century.
Not me. I sell car parts. There's a lot of people on the roads who got their licence from a cereal box.
Not fine anywhere, TBH.
I can appreciate the jokey/banter nature of these kinds of stickers, but I haven't suffered the loss of anyone close to a RTC. I can only imagine how the recently bereaved might react to seeing something like this on a vehicle.
Not often I agree with your posts. on this one though, chapeau neuf du pape
I meant because some well known poster on here seem to be against reporting anti-cycling agenda people to their places of work and getting them disciplinary. It is seen as cancel culture if I remember the phrases he used. So along those lines, the person definitely cannot be defended for sticking that type of thing on his works van.
Still nice to know you do have your own opinions when not instantly defending that persons cycle blaming trolling posts.
There's a reason why they are known as Crap-ita...