EUROPEAN driver training organisation Drive and Survive has become a public limited company, resulting in a number of changes to the structure of the group of which it forms a part. New Driving Initiatives (NDI), the company created by Paul Austin and Mark Smith two years ago, which merged with Drive and Survive, will now become the group's holding company.

Only Drive and Survive, or closely related offshoots of it, will therefore deliver the company's fleet driver training products from now on. The change has been prompted by a comparison of Drive and Survive's financial results with other organisations in the same field.

Managing director Austin said: 'We found our annual turnover in driving training was £4.5 million where our next largest competitor had a turnover of just £1.1 million. We want to be able to clearly show that Drive and Survive is at least twice the size of the next competitor and the disciplines imposed by PLC status such as the requirement to produce more detailed accounts and make them public is a way we can do that.

'We believe the disciplines imposed by PLC status will help us strengthen our commercial relationships.' Austin said he expected Drive and Survive to be floated on the Stock Market in between five and seven years. As well as Drive and Survive the group also has a specialised motorcycle training arm, Ride and Survive, PR and promotions department, D&S Communications and events management division D&S Events.