Couriers gain recognition

Tuseday night saw the tenth annual Courier Awards take place in London with six-times world champion Geoff Duke presenting the awards.

Duke was invited to be the guest of honour at the event as not only is he a racing legend, winning the 500cc Grand Prix four times and 350cc GP twice in the 1950’s, but he was also a despatch rider before he started racing.

Read our interview with Geoff Duke here

The awards were started in 1995 to celebrate the achievements of the courier industry and to try and improve standards, and have been growing ever since.

The tenth year sees four bikers receive awards alongside the four-wheel drivers and office teams.

Former conservative Transport Minister Steven Norris has been involved with the awards from the beginning and still helps with the judging.

“Ten years ago this wasn’t an industry known for its standards,” said Norris. “But in the last decade that has really changed. Professionalism is the big difference. The City of London now could not operate without couriers. With things like these awards the industry has demonstrated how far it is willing to go to demonstrate its professionalism.”

The 2005 two-wheeled courier award winners are:

Stanley Andrews of Lewis Day

Max Liberson of Reuter Brooks

Gary Ormesher of TNT

Tony Turbin of MPC