THE GO-AHEAD GROUP PLC
ENVIRONMENTAL & SOCIAL REPORT 2005
www.go-ahead.com/corporateresponsibility
Public transport is the lifeblood of many communities, and plays an
essential role in tackling social exclusion. Our buses and trains are an
essential service for millions of people. Our business success and our
shareholders’ returns depend on our ability to serve their needs
efficiently and responsibly.
Go-Ahead has been a pioneer in Corporate Responsibility reporting
for the public transport sector and we take huge pride in this report
and in our efforts to embed best reporting practice across our Group.
This document provides a group-wide
summary and illustrates the CR reporting
framework for the group as a whole.
The full report, with a great deal more
detail and data for each of our operating
companies, can be found online at
www.go-ahead.com/corporateresponsibility.
We believe that this three-tier approach
represents best practice in CR reporting.
Go-Ahead is a responsible company:
corporate responsibility does not sit apart
from business strategy, it is an integral part
of every decision and every act we take.
We are committed to local operating
companies making local decisions on local
services.The structure of our Corporate
Responsibility reporting reflects this
approach. Each of our operating companies
has produced its own report designed to
be as engaging and accessible as possible
for its stakeholders.
We believe that public transport has
an essential role to play in meeting these
challenges. However, if we are to make
the most of the opportunities to put public
transport at the forefront of the local
and national policy agendas, we must
be effective in demonstrating how we
are responsible.
This is why we have produced this report.
The topics we cover are based on a thorough
review with stakeholders of the priority issues
that matter to them; detail of our performance
is what our stakeholders want, and what this
report has been designed to provide.
Good transport underpins a successful
economy and improves the quality of life.
It is transport that provides us with access
to jobs, learning, services and leisure.
As the economy grows, the desire of
people to travel also grows.The UK has
seen an explosion in the growth of travel;
the vast majority of this additional travel
has been by private car.
Chris Moyes
Chief Executive,The Go-Ahead Group
The nature of this growth has had huge
social and environmental implications.
Congestion on our roads and in towns
and cities is a growing problem.
Chris Moyes is also the chairman of
Go-Skills, a training body for the public
transport industry, and chairman of
Durham University Council.
Each operating company Managing Director
shares my commitment to listen and learn.
If you have any comments or ideas that
will help us to improve, please let us know.
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Group overview
Introduction
Bus operations
- About Go Ahead
- Our operations
- What corporate responsibility
means for our business
- Our responsibilities
- Our approach to reporting
- Stakeholder consultation
Bus companies have a role in reducing
transport emissions and congestion,
building communities and preventing
social exclusion. We report on our
responsibilities as a bus service operator,
as an employer, towards the community
and towards the environment:
6
Marketplace
Workplace
8
Environment 10
Community 12
Go-Ahead Environmental and Social Report 2005
Investment in new, low-floor
buses means increased accessibility
as well as reduced emissions
See pages 7 and 11
Innovative new bus service uses
guideways, bus lanes and flat fares
to eliminate delays and improve
reliability See page 6
CCTV cameras on our buses
add to the safety and security
of our passengers and employees
See page 7
Our security strategy unit is working with
the Secure Stations scheme to combat
passenger assaults, robberies and the
threat of terrorism See page 15
We are dedicated to managing
disruption to our passengers’
journeys, whatever the circumstances
See page 14
We protected our employees’
health and safety by successfully
campaigning for a 32 kg luggage
allowance See page 21
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Rail operations
Aviation support and parking
Performance data
Rail accounts for one in three journeys
made on public transport in the UK, with
Go-Ahead’s two franchises accounting for
over 160 million passenger journeys. We
report on our responsibilities to our
passengers, our employees, the
communities we serve and the
environment:
Go-Ahead Group companies offer
ground-handling and parking services
at 19 airports in the UK and Ireland.
We report on our responsibilities in the:
- CR performance data from every
company in the Go-Ahead Group
- Verification and Audit statement
- Business in the Community
CR Index ranking
Marketplace
Workplace
Environment
Community
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16
18
19
Marketplace
Workplace
Environment
Community
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21
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Go-Ahead Environmental and Social Report 2005
GROUP OVERVIEW
Go-Ahead is a major provider of transport services across the UK
employing over 20,000 people and carrying just under 700 million
passengers. Its operations span bus, rail, parking and aviation support
services providing:
Bus services in the South of England, London
and the North East of England
Rail services operating commuter networks
in London and the South East of England
Parking services at airports, railway stations,
shopping centres and hospitals across the UK
Aviation ground handling in airports across
the UK and the Republic of Ireland
Go-Ahead’s distinctive approach within the transport services
sector offers its operating companies the freedom to develop
and run their businesses: local people make local decisions on
running local services.
However, we exercise that freedom within a shared vision.
Go-Ahead has developed a common framework for managing
its operating companies’ impact on society and the environment.
This report describes our performance against this framework.
Turnover (£m)
The business case for responsibility
Adopting a responsible approach delivers a number of key
benefits for our business:
• Building reputation as good citizens among local communities
and at a government level
• Optimising access to Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) funds
• Attracting and retaining employees
FTSE 4 Good and Business in the Community
The Go-Ahead Group came
top of the public transport
companies that participated in
the Business in the Community
Corporate Responsibility Index 2004.The index criteria were
made more challenging in 2004. We improved our score to 81%.
In the Environment Index, we scored 85%.
Go-Ahead is also a member of the FTSE4
Good Index Series, which is designed to
indicate investment opportunities in companies
that meet globally recognised corporate
responsibility standards.
Operating cash flow (£m)
2005
1306m
2005
131.7m
2004
1244m
2004
150.3m
2003
1102m
2003
94.6m
2002
949m
2002
93.0m
2001
588m
2001
56.0m
Operating profit (before exceptions and goodwill) (£m)
Dividend (p)
2005
95.9m
2005
48.0
2004
91.3m
2004
38.0
2003
65.5m
2003
25.0
2002
49.4m
2002
17.0
2001
43.0m
2001
15.0
Group overview
Bus
National operations
Bus
Rail
Aviation Support
and Parking
Northern operations
ABERDEEN
Go North East
GLASGOW
EDINBURGH
NEWCASTLE
BELFAST CITY
TEESSIDE
BELFAST
INTERNATIONAL
LEEDS/BRADFORD
LIVERPOOL
DUBLIN
MANCHESTER
BIRMINGHAM
IPSWICH
OXFORD
CARDIFF
LONDON STANSTED
LONDON LUTON
SALISBURY
LONDON HEATHROW
LONDON GATWICK
SOUTHAMPTON
BRIGHTON
PO OLE
BOURNEMOUTH
ISLE OF WIGHT
JERSEY
Southern operations
TO BEDFORD
STANSTED
AIRPORT
LUTON
AIRPORT
LUTON
AIRPORT
PARKWAY
Rail
WATFORD JUNCTION
OXFORD
KINGS CROSS
THAMESLINK
CITY
THAMESLINK
FARRINGDON
BLACKFRIARS
VICTORIA
LONDON BRIDGE
HEATHROW
AIRPORT
CLAPHAM
JUNCTION
EAST
CROYDON
WIMBLEDON
ORPINGTON
SUTTON
REDHILL
HASTINGS
CRAWLEY
UCKFIELD
LEWES
BOURNEMOUTH
EAST
GRINSTEAD
HAYWARDS
HEATH
PORTSMOUTH
Aviation support and parking
SOUTHHAMPTON
SALISBURY
GODSTONE
THREE
BRIDGES
HORSHAM
EASTBOURNE
GATWICK
AIRPORT
TO ASHFORD
POOLE
LITTLEHAMPTON
BRIGHTON
Southern
Solent Blue Line*
Wilts & Dorset
Thameslink
Southern Vectis*
Oxford Bus Company
Metrobus
Brighton & Hove
London Central
Express coach service
London General
*These companies were acquired at the end of the reporting
period and so data from them is not included in this report.
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Go-Ahead Environmental and Social Report 2005
INTRODUCTION: OUR RESPONSIBILITIES
This report describes our performance in meeting our responsibilities
as a business in the 12 months to 2nd July 2005. For each of our
four areas of operation, bus, rail, aviation services and parking,
we have described the ways in which our business impacts on our
communities, and our responsibilities for managing these impacts:
Marketplace – how we run our services
Workplace – the issues that affect the people
who work for us
Environment – our impact on the environment
and how we manage and reduce it
Community – our role in the communities
where we operate
Consulting our stakeholders
Last year, we consulted our passengers, employees, representative
bodies and many others about their views on our business
responsibilities.These stakeholders confirmed that increasing the
use of public transport is our main responsibility, and described
the most important factors that influence the choice to travel by
public transport:
•
•
•
•
Reliability, convenience and punctuality
Accessibility for all
Safety and security
Affordability
To keep this report short, we have placed our full report,
containing a lot more information on the web
www.go-ahead.com/corporateresponsibility
Marketplace
ISSUE
OUR
RESPONSIBILITY
OUR RESPONSE
Reliability, convenience
and punctuality of services.
Affordability for people
on low incomes.
Accessibility for all,
particularly people
with disabilities.
Safety and security.
Our responsibility is to run
our services to timetable and
ensure that passengers have
a positive journey experience.
Our responsibility is to
help as many people
as possible to use
our services.
Our responsibility is to
help as many people
as possible to use
our services.
Our responsibility is to ensure
the safety and security of
passengers, our employees
and the general public.
All our businesses have
metrics to measure our
performance. Our aim is to
satisfy our passengers every
time they travel with us.
It is not possible to get
it right all of the time, so
each of our companies
has a complaints
procedure in place.
Our companies run
a range of schemes
that offer reduced rate
services for particular
groups – older people,
off peak travellers and
young people.
When our companies
invest in new buses and
trains, we make sure that
the design takes into
account ease of access
for everyone. We train
our employees to be a
practical help to people
in need of assistance.
Safety and security is a board
issue for every subsidiary
company. We are committed
to deter any physical or verbal
abuse of passengers or staff.
We have invested in technology
(e.g. CCTV), we train our staff
to deal with incidents and employ
the expertise of our own security
guard business. We are prepared
for major incidents such as an
act of terrorism.
Introduction: Our responsibilities
“Each of our operating companies have
produced their own local corporate
responsibility report this year.”
Our stakeholders also indicated the negative impacts of our business,
where management and reduction of our impact is a priority:
• Climate change and local air pollution
• Noise and congestion
At the same time, we were expected to play a full role as an
active citizen in the local communities where we have operations.
Our stakeholder boards also fed back on how we should shape
our reporting. In particular, we were expected to:
• Focus on the key impacts and issues
• Report measures of performance that are relevant to these
impacts and issues
• Introduce additional measures of performance for some issues
• Communicate performance through both a hard-copy report
and on the Web
In light of this, we have revised our reporting framework
to focus on the key impacts and issues and developed our
responsibility grid (below):
A note on the scope of the report: At the end of the reporting period, Go-Ahead announced
the acquisition of Southern Vectis plc, made up of Southern Vectis, providing bus services on the
Isle of Wight, and Solent Blue Line, providing bus services in the Southampton area. Data for these
companies will be included in next year’s report.
The Thameslink franchise held by Go-Ahead will come to an end in March 2006. The 2004-5
figures are included in this report, but will not feature next year.
Innovative ticketing makes it easier for passengers to use our services
Workplace
Environment
Community
As an employer.
Improving our environmental
performance.
Strong relationships
with local communities.
Our responsibility is to provide
a positive work environment
conducive to the recruitment
and retention of staff.
Our responsibility is to minimise the
environmental impact of our buses and
trains.This includes emissions and noise.
Understanding and support from
stakeholders is a basic requirement for
running and expanding our services.
We are committed to being seen
as a good employer. We treat
people fairly regardless of gender,
race, age or where practical, disability.
We have invested in recruitment,
personal development and
training opportunities.
We have invested heavily in new
buses and trains as well as technology
to reduce emissions such as catalytic
converters and particulate traps.
Maintenance of our vehicles is a
priority for us.
We are active participants in local
communities. We contribute to and
invest in developing an improved
transport infrastructure. We seek
opportunities to ease congestion
by working with partners on local
initiatives. Our operating companies
offer in-kind support to local charities.
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Go-Ahead Environmental and Social Report 2005
THE MARKETPLACE > BUS OPERATIONS
Our responsibilities in the marketplace
We carried nearly 500 million passengers on our 3,310 buses last year,
through operations spanning local services, longer distance travel and
park and ride schemes. Our buses run seven days a week, sometimes
24 hours a day, and travel over 200 million kilometres combined.
We want people to use our buses; increasing bus usage is good
for our business, but increasing the use of public transport is
also hugely important to the communities where we operate.
Reducing our dependence on cars helps reduce congestion
making it easier and less stressful for road users and pedestrians
to get to their destinations, as well as improving air quality.
Reliability, convenience and punctuality:
passenger growth in Brighton and Hove
Our devolved structure allows our managing directors
the freedom to be fully responsive to local transport needs.
Across our operating companies, this has resulted in innovative
solutions for improving reliability, convenience and punctuality.
Increasing bus usage is also vital to protect vulnerable groups
from social exclusion.
Last year, an extra million people used our buses in Brighton
and Hove, a huge achievement against a national backdrop of
falling bus passenger numbers. Investment in new buses with
CCTV, flat fares to reduce waiting times at bus stops, together
with our City Council partners’ investments in bus lanes and
accessibility at bus stops have helped to drive the increase.
Together, the company and the Council invested in a state-ofthe-art satellite system to provide real-time bus information at
bus stops, hotels, hospitals and office buildings. We are proud that
Roger French, the Managing Director of Brighton and Hove has
been recognised with an OBE for services to public transport.
We have identified those factors which help to increase bus usage,
and have shown that this can be achieved. We have shown that
buses can help tackle congestion in urban areas, complement rail
travel and be a real alternative to more and more car journeys.
In this section, we report on the four most important
marketplace issues for us:
Reliability, convenience and punctuality
Other initiatives
The groundbreaking Fastway service operated by Metrobus in
partnership with BAA and local councils, has dramatically
improved reliability on the route between Crawley Town Centre
and Gatwick, through innovative bus lanes and guideways.
The 'more' services run by Wilts & Dorset have driven a 55%
passenger increase through new, modern, more accessible buses.
Affordability
Accessibility for all
Safety and security
Passenger
journeys
Vehicle kms
travelled
Scheduled
kms operated
483m
221m
98.87%
Fleet with low floor access (%)
04-05
03-04
02-03
VOSA PSV vehicle test pass rate
68.21
63.66
57.00
Vehicle accidents per million kms travelled
04-05
03-04
02-03
23.04
20.11
18.78
Our
average
National
average
95.86%
84.13%
The Marketplace > Bus Operations
Affordability for people on low incomes: Bus ID
Public transport is an essential service to combat social exclusion,
especially given the growth in out-of-town business parks,
shopping centres and leisure facilities. Without bus services,
communities or estates can become isolated. All our companies
develop innovative ways to make our services accessible to
people on low incomes.
As many of our regular customers are older people, we
know that our continued success depends on attracting
young passengers. Our innovative Bus ID schemes, offering
discounted fares for younger people, are our investment in
building our market.
Young people across the Wilts & Dorset area can now
join those in Brighton & Hove in enjoying half price travel.
Bus ID is available free for young people between the ages
of five and 16, whereas Bus ID+ is sold for £20 for those
between 16 and 18 years old.
Other initiatives
Working with local employers, Oxford Bus Company has
developed a range of free travel and discount schemes covering
police, street wardens, parking attendants, hospital staff, education,
local government and other large employers.
Accessibility for all: Low-floor buses
As recently as 1997, only one in 12 buses were accessible to
people in wheelchairs.The introduction of low-floor buses fitted
with ramps is a major step forward to improving access for all.
Go-Ahead has an active programme of bus purchase and renewal,
and concern for access is integral to our sourcing decisions.
We have set a company target to increase the proportion of
low-floor buses within our fleet and have made a commitment
that all our new buses will be low-floor.To date 68.21% of
Go-Ahead's fleet is made of low-floor buses.
Low-floor buses have made a huge impact, improving accessibility for all
Safety and security
Safety and security of passengers, drivers and the general public
is a leading priority for Go-Ahead. We were the first public
transport operator to join the Parliamentary Advisory
Committee for Transport Safety (PACTS). We also have a
programme of active road safety management through:
• First class maintenance for all our vehicles
• Investment in training for new drivers and refresher training
for existing drivers
• Investment in CCTV as an essential tool to assess road
accidents, determine responsibility and to learn lessons
• Reviewing road safety performance by route
• An inspection system drawn from Vehicle and Operator
Services Agency procedures
We are proud to have received no health and safety
enforcement actions in the last two years.
Tackling crime and anti-social behaviour is also a priority. London
General and London Central successfully combated vandalism
around Bexleyheath Garage by using a digital camera as a reward
for identifying perpetrators in our CCTV recordings. In the first
two days, 70 names were put forward and the initiative has led to
a number of successful prosecutions.The local community
welcomed the initiative as many of the perpetrators were
involved in other incidents of anti-social behaviour.
The company is also proud of the commitment of our London
bus drivers in the face of recent terrorist attacks in the city.
“Last year, an extra million people used
our buses in Brighton and Hove”
Other initiatives
Wilts & Dorset brought together a working group of police,
councillors, youth groups and housing trust representatives to
co-ordinate a zero-tolerance response to problems on one Poole
estate.The group is now looking at ways to prevent anti-social
behaviour on school bus routes.
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Go-Ahead Environmental and Social Report 2005
THE WORKPLACE > BUS OPERATIONS
Our responsibilities in the workplace
A successful bus company needs skilled drivers who provide
a helpful, friendly service for our passengers. We know that our
success depends on having satisfied and committed employees
who care for the satisfaction of our customers.
Our bus operators employ around 9,500 people. A challenge for
our industry is that a combination of shift work and the stress
linked to driving result in a high turnover of staff. We provide
a competitive benefits package and provide professional and
personal development training opportunities to attract and
retain good people.
Recruitment
Competition for good people is intense in many parts of the
country where we operate. We advertise using job fairs, websites,
vehicles and through the local press and media, and recruited
nearly 2,000 people last year.This met our targets necessary
to maintain and improve our level of service.
Training and development
Opportunities to learn new skills and further careers are all part
of what our employees expect from us. We invested over £4.5m
in training across the bus operating companies last year. How we
deliver training varies considerably. Some operating companies
have in-house training academies, some use external expertise
and others provide access to colleges. All share a commitment
to help our employees develop.
Wilts & Dorset worked with the RMT union to deliver the
Learning Bus, an easily accessible venue for holding training courses.
Opening day visits to Poole and Salisbury attracted 120 people.
Women make excellent bus drivers; we are working to address perceptions
that driving is just for men
Turnover rate %
04-05
03-04
Diversity by gender
20.5
22.5
Male
Female
Total
8,717
768
9,485
Diversity by age
16-19: 0.5%
20-29: 10.9%
30-39: 24.2%
40-49: 30.8%
50-59: 25.1%
60-64: 7.2%
65+: 1.3%
The Workplace > Bus Operations
Other initiatives
Oxford Bus Company’s recruitment campaign aimed at ethnic
communities, and built on feedback from existing employees,
was awarded runner-up in the ‘medium to large business’
category of Oxfordshire Employers Race Equality Network’s
Positive Employers Awards 2005.
Our business needs a workforce that properly
reflects the communities we serve
Equality and diversity
It is in our business interest that our workforce properly reflects
the communities that use our services. Each of the Go-Ahead bus
operating companies has an Equal Opportunities policy and this
is reflected in their recruitment practices.
A significant number of people in our society have disabilities.
Very few of our employees have declared themselves to have
a disability.This is partly due to the nature of vehicle design and
the pressures of driving roles.
The bus industry has traditionally been a male-dominated sector,
particularly among drivers, and the number of women employed
by the Group is relatively small. We are managing issues like shift
work and security to help address this.
Employee dialogue
Our companies recognise trade unions and work closely
with them. Our bus operating companies recognise a range of
unions according to their business, including the General
Municipal and Boilermakers Union (GMB), the Transport and
General Workers Union (TGWU), AMICUS, Unison and the
National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT).
All have regular meetings to discuss employee conditions as well
as wider company strategy.
Oxford Bus Company’s Stakeholder Board represents employees’
interests alongside those of passengers and representatives from
large employers.
Health and safety
Each of our operating companies seeks to foster a health and
safety culture whereby every employee takes personal
responsibility for health and safety issues. Managers, supervisors
and drivers are encouraged to raise issues and concerns on
a day-to-day basis. Health and safety forms a major part of driver
induction and refresher training is provided for all. An external
consultant monitors and audits our performance in this area.
London General & London Central is an enthusiastic supporter
of the Women in the Bus Industry programme run by Transport
for London, which is trying to change the perception that the bus
industry is just for men; we have changed our advertising and
work environment, updated our family friendly policies, and are
developing a tailored mentoring programme for women recruits.
Part of our £4.5 million investment in training
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Go-Ahead Environmental and Social Report 2005
THE ENVIRONMENT > BUS OPERATIONS
Our responsibilities to the environment
Bus companies have a visible impact on the environment.
Our buses are a source of greenhouse gases and local
air pollutants, whilst depots and garages use energy for
maintenance, heating and cooling.
Our main responsibility is to minimise the environmental impact
of our buses, particularly emissions and noise. We do this through
good maintenance, investment in our fleet and the use of catalytic
converters and particulate traps. We have found that good
environmental management can save money and improve
business efficiency.
How we manage our impact
We have developed our own environmental management system.
This includes the identification and assessment of our environmental
impacts, and the setting of objectives and targets for their
management. Each operating company is responsible for managing
and reducing their impacts. We share experience from different
companies through an internal forum dedicated to social and
environmental issues.
We gather data annually, and the systems we use are verified
by a third party.
Our main environmental impacts
With over 3,000 buses, our most significant impact relates to
air emissions. Pollution caused by exhaust emissions affects
our health directly through the air we breathe and is also linked
to climate change. At a local level, concentrations of traffic such
as busy roads or city centres intensify the impact of emissions.
Our management strategy: purchasing
A key determinant of emissions is the age of the engine.Three
generations of engines have been developed since environmental
efficiency standards were defined at a European level, and engines
are therefore categorised as Pre Euro, Euro I, Euro II and Euro III.
Our vehicle purchasing policy is to specify that all new vehicles
must comply with the latest Euro standard (currently Euro III) in
force at the time of the purchase and additionally, all new vehicles
must be supplied with Continuously Regenerating Traps (CRTs)
or equivalent technology fitted as standard.
Go-Ahead has one of the most modern fleets within the industry.
The average age of a Go-Ahead bus is only 5.5 years, significantly
below the Government-Industry target of eight years and we are
commited to remaining below this target.The Oxford Bus
Company operates one of the greenest fleets in the country.
On some issues, we must balance environmental improvement
against customer comfort: for example, the environmental costs
of offering air conditioning as standard on new buses.This has
resulted in a slight rise in some of the air emissions this year.
Overall, it is our view that attracting customers away from
private cars and on to the bus will deliver the greatest
environmental return.
Much of the growth in air emissions is due to the huge explosion
in car travel. Bus services reduce this impact, accounting for
around 1% of kilometres travelled but responsible for 6%
of all passenger journeys.
Nevertheless, buses are also a source of emissions to air.
We know that we must reduce our impact to maximise the
environmental benefit and strengthen our environmental case
for increased bus use.
Emissions are affected by a variety of factors – the age of the
engine, investment in Continuously Regenerating Traps, the type
of fuel used, the passenger capacity, the nature of the journey,
maintenance of the vehicle, driving technique and how exhaust
fumes are treated.
We retro-fit emission-reducing CRTs to our existing fleet
“The average age of a Go-Ahead bus
is only 5.5 years”
Vehicle maintenance and exhaust treatments
Vehicle maintenance has a direct impact on our environmental
performance. A poorly maintained vehicle is likely to operate
below its best performance.This is bad for business as well as
for the environment.
The Environment > Bus Operations
Go-Ahead has developed its own rigorous system for testing the
performance of its vehicles, which is based on the Vehicle and
Operator Services Agency (VOSA) inspection manual. VOSA
undertakes maintenance and emissions tests across the industry,
and Go-Ahead has again exceeded the industry average pass rate.
Exhausts can be fitted with add-on technology to reduce emissions.
The most significant of these technologies are Continuously
Regenerating Traps (CRT) which virtually eliminate particulates
as well as reducing a number of other gas emissions.There are
a number of cost and health and safety issues with the on-going
maintenance of CRTs and the company is investigating alternative
technologies/systems to reduce exhaust gas emissions, including:
Average age of fleet (years)
8.0
Government-Industry target (max)
5.52
4.90
5.23
Go-Ahead
03
04
05
% of fleet with Euro II engines or above
• Exhaust gas re-circulation
• Selective catalyst reduction via two catalyst units
• Introduction of a dosing agent (Ammonia or Urea)
into the exhaust gas
CRTs are currently fitted as standard on all new bus purchases
and operating companies are investing in upgrading the existing
fleet to install this technology.
83
78
72
04-05
03-04
02-03
% of fleet with CRT
69
04-05
59
58
03-04
02-03
“Go-Ahead has one of the most modern
fleets within the industry.”
Fuel use
Go-Ahead uses Ultra Low Sulphur (ULS) diesel as standard in
its fleet. ULS has the benefit of reducing emissions of particulates
by up to 40% along with reducing sulphur emissions. Go-Ahead
continues to investigate the feasibility of alternative fuels:
Bio-diesel. Go North East tested a mix of 95% ULS and
5% naturally-renewable vegetable mineral oils.The mix
was not found to be commercially viable at this time
VOSA emissions pass rate
Our average
pass rate
National
average
99.99%
99.14%
Emissions: CO (g)
per passenger journey
0.40
0.46
04-05
Hybrid vehicles. London Central and London General
plan to test up to 12 vehicles powered by a
combination of diesel and electricity later this year
Electric propulsion. Oxford Bus Company tested
electric propulsion in the mid 1990s.Although this
delivered an improved emission profile, the buses
failed to meet reliability criteria
LPG.Tests have been undertaken both within and
outside London. At the time, the technology only
delivered small improvements in emission performance
at a significant extra cost
The use of ULS is regularly reviewed against alternatives.
A challenge, particularly with the use of bio-diesel, is that the
current tax regime discourages investigation of alternatives.
03-04
Emissions: CO2 (kg)
per passenger journey
0.48
04-05
0.61
03-04
Emissions: NOx (g)
per passenger journey
4.34
4.16
04-05
03-04
Emissions: PM (g)
per passenger journey
04-05
03-04
0.05
0.06
Emissions: HC (g)
per passenger journey
04-05
03-04
0.20
0.24
11
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Go-Ahead Environmental and Social Report 2005
THE COMMUNITY > BUS OPERATIONS
Our responsibilities in the workplace
Bus companies are an integral part of local communities; their services are
essential for a wide range of people, but particularly for those most at threat
of social exclusion. Bus users come from all sectors of society but use is higher
than average for women, older people, people from minority ethnic groups,
people without a car and those from the lowest household income groups.
Buses are the lifeblood of local communities
It is also in our interests to help improve the social and commercial
fabric of the communities we are a part of. Our businesses get
involved in a range of different ways – supporting local causes,
contributing to community partnerships and using surplus buses
in innovative ways.
• Initiatives to tackle crime including partnerships with
local authorities, schools and housing authorities
• Local regeneration, particularly relating to transport
• Provision of free transport for charitable causes
• Travel tickets for charity raffles
Supporting local causes: Community Bus Miles Scheme
All our operating companies support local community activities in
their area.This can be through supporting the efforts of our staff
to raise funds for charities, small cash donations or, more typically,
free bus use. Examples of projects supported by the bus
operating companies are:
• Supporting causes linked to employees
The Go North East flagship programme is the Community Bus Miles
scheme, which donates free bus miles to organisations giving young
people access to sport and educational opportunities. Partners
include Newcastle Falcons Rugby Club, Gateshead City Learning
Centre, Sunderland AFC and the Durham County Cricket Club.
The Community > Bus Operations
Brighton & Hove Bus Company is a leader
in developing community partnerships
Community partnerships: Brighton and Hove
All our operating companies are involved in local partnerships,
reflecting transport’s vital role in a thriving economy.
In Brighton and Hove, local strategic partnerships are designed
to bring the community together to help tackle deep seated,
multi-faceted problems. Brighton & Hove Bus Company is an
active participant in both the Brighton and Hove City Local
Strategic Partnership (‘2020 Community’) and the Adur Local
Strategic Partnership (‘Adur in Partnership’).The 2020 Brighton
and Hove Community Strategy has identified eight priority areas
and developed investment plans to support integrated transport
systems through fast rail links to London, park and ride schemes,
and improved bus lanes.
Integration makes our services a more
appealing alternative to the private car
We knew from Wilts & Dorset’s experience with our employeefocused Learning Bus that a coach can double up as a classroom.
Our major investment in new buses also meant that we had
surplus buses for disposal: eight coaches from Oxford Bus
Company and Wilts & Dorset were part of a fleet of
100 donated by UK companies and shipped out to Aceh in
Indonesia and Galle in Sri Lanka.
Community spend
£199,113: (61%) of total Group
spend (£327,470)
At a local operating company level
community investment is driven
through ‘support in kind’ activities,
while the PLC handles direct financial
donations. The figures above include
an element of both these community
investment streams.
A target set by the partnership was to increase usage of the
bus network from 30 million passenger journeys per year in
2000/1 to 36.9 million passenger journeys per year in 2004/5.
We achieved 35.84 million.
Using surplus buses in innovative ways:
buses to Indonesia and Sri Lanka
Go-Ahead wanted to make a practical contribution to improving the
situation following the devastating Indian Ocean Tsunami. A major
issue was that the schools infrastructure was severely damaged.
We were proud to support Asia Bus Response in coming up
with a solution.
Priorities for next year
• Increase the proportion of buses fitted with CRTs
to over 70%
• Further reduce emissions for PM, CO and HC
• Maintain the 65% standard for more accessible
low-floor buses across all the fleet
• Grow passenger numbers on new services such
as Fastway and ‘more’
• Maintain the VOSA emissions pass rate above the
national average
• Continue to reduce staff turnover rates
What we can do better!
• Extend real-time information to more bus stops across
our operating companies, and to look at extending the
service to include SMS "text" messaging
• Review how punctuality performance is measured
• Review how community investment can be better
managed across the Group
• Pilot the use of hybrid buses in London and the
use of fuel additives
• Share diversity best practice across the bus
operating companies
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Go-Ahead Environmental and Social Report 2005
THE MARKETPLACE > RAIL OPERATIONS
Our responsibilities in the marketplace
Rail accounts for one out of three journeys made on public
transport. Of these, Go-Ahead accounts for over 160 million
passenger journeys through our train franchises for Southern
and Thameslink in the South East of England.
We operate our rail services through GoVia, our partnership
with French transport companys Keolis (owned by SNCF and 3i).
Southern provides train services between London and
the South East coast – through South London, Surrey,
East and West Sussex, and to parts of Kent and Hampshire.
The company and the network are currently the subject of
a significant regeneration programme.
Thameslink operates a fast, frequent direct service between
Bedford in the north, via Luton Airport Parkway and
the City of London, to Gatwick Airport, Brighton and
Wimbledon-Sutton-Carshalton in the south.This includes
the unique, north-south, cross-London rail link.
We want people to use our rail services. Rail networks,
particularly those operated by Go-Ahead, offer a real alternative
to the car. Reducing dependence on cars reduces congestion and
air emissions.
We have identified those factors which influence increased rail
usage and have structured our reporting around these key issues:
Reliability, convenience and punctuality
Accessibility for all
Affordability
Travel Buddy was vital
to managing disruption
for passengers
Reliability, convenience and punctuality:
managing disruption to Thameslink services
Our priority is to improve performance on punctuality and
reliability.The standard measure used to assess performance
in these areas is the Public Performance Measure (PPM). Both
Southern and Thameslink have recorded significant improvements
in their PPM measures with Thameslink beating the overall
industry target set by the regulator.
Maintaining reliability is complex, owing to the nature of the
rail network. Network Rail, rather than the operating companies,
is responsible for issues concerning track, signalling and control
equipment, bridges, viaducts, tunnels and level crossings.
Works, such as the Channel Tunnel Rail Link, which closed the
cross-London section of the Thameslink route from September
2004 to May 2005, can hugely disrupt our capacity to run
a fast, reliable and efficient service.Thameslink was awarded
the prestigious ‘PR Campaign of the Year’ prize at the HSBC
Rail Business Awards for its efforts to minimise disruption to
passengers’ journeys during this period. Over 7,000 employees
and stakeholders were briefed well in advance of the disruptions
through an innovative multi-media campaign featuring the
eye-catching Travel Buddy icon. Over 90% of regular customers
were aware of the changes before the closure began, and
briefings, posters, leaflets and stewards helped people through
the blockade period.
Safety and security
Passenger
journeys
Vehicle kms
travelled
Total number
of cancellations:
Southern
163m
38.75m
1.35%
Total number of delays: Southern (5.03%)
Total number
of cancellations:
Thameslink
4.64%
Delays due to Southern 2.54%
Delays due to other causes 2.49%
On time journeys 94.97%
Total number of delays: Thameslink (11.68%)
Delays due to Thameslink 2.92%
Delays due to other causes 8.76%
On time journeys 88.32%
The Marketplace > Rail Operations
Accessibility for all: investing in Southern’s network
Helping people with mobility difficulties, including those who may
be old or infirm, travelling with small children or heavy luggage,
or using a wheelchair, is a key part of customer service. All our
employees are given training to deal sympathetically with these
passengers. Our rail companies make annual reports on training
courses and the number of staff trained to the Strategic
Rail Authority.
Southern is a member of the Employers’ Forum on Disability,
which addresses disability issues on behalf of passengers and
employees. Since taking over this former Connex franchise in
August 2001, Southern has worked to offer passengers an
improved travelling experience, including improvements in the
accessibility of trains and stations.
A £1 billion investment in the network has included 700 new
carriages, which are designed and built to meet the needs of
passengers with mobility problems through features such as
clearer information displays and announcements, wider doorways
and aisles, communications in Braille and dedicated wheelchair
spaces and ramps.
A rolling programme of station improvement is designed to meet
the standards of the Disability Discrimination Act, and information
on station accessibility is available via phone, textphone, posters
and the web.
Affordability:Thameslink’s Want to Work scheme
For those without a car, public transport opens up many potential
opportunities. It is in our interest to encourage people to travel
on the train; however, the cost can be daunting for those
currently out of work.
We aim to achieve Secure Stations status for 40 Southern stations
• Investment in CCTV, including the £3m Streatham Hill Centre
established by Southern in partnership with Transport for
London. CCTV is an essential tool for assessing incidents and
learning lessons
• Safety performance reviews by route
• Safety performance monitoring
Our rail companies consult closely with the British Transport
Police and other security forces, as well as with fellow Go-Ahead
operating company Meteor, which provides security guards on
certain services. Our dedicated security strategy unit is helping
to combat passenger assaults and robberies.
In partnership with the Department for Work and Pensions and
Jobcentre Plus,Thameslink launched the ‘Want to Work’ scheme
for jobseekers in Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire. Jobseekers in
receipt of benefits qualify for free travel on Thameslink trains to
an interview anywhere between Bedford and Central London.
For those who are successful, but will earn less than £25k p.a.,
we offer one month’s additional free travel.
In the current climate, the terrorist threat is real and affecting
passenger confidence. We carry out scenario planning covering
the identification of risk, co-ordination, information and evacuation.
Co-ordination is very important in responding to any terrorist
incident and we have invested in building relationships with
appropriate bodies. Posters and other materials are on display
at major stations encouraging passenger vigilance and providing
contact points.
Safety and security
Safety is a primary concern both on trains and at stations.
We are vigilant in our efforts to reduce incidents through:
Secure Stations is a national accreditation scheme covering all
overground and underground rail stations across England, Wales
and Scotland.Thameslink has obtained secure station status for
22 of its 28 stations, an increase from 16 last year.This is the
largest ratio for any Train Operating Company.
• Ongoing maintenance of the fleet
Thameslink also has its own incident case team, which supports
Transport for London and other organisations during major
incidents.The company has won the Royal Society for Prevention
of Accidents Gold Award for the second year running.
• Safety-focused training programmes
Priorities for next year
Public performance measure: Southern (%)
04-05
03-04
83.6
80.1
Public performance measure: Thameslink (%)
86.3
04-05
03-04
• Consult with all stakeholders on changes
to Southern’s coastline service
• Introduce employee satisfaction scorecard
• Introduce new environmental training module
• Continue to improve cycle storage facilities
at Southern stations
74.0
What we can do better!
• Research the use of fuel additives to reduce emissions
• Achieve Secure Station status for 40 of Southern’s stations
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Go-Ahead Environmental and Social Report 2005
THE WORKPLACE > RAIL OPERATIONS
Our responsibilities in the workplace
Our success depends on our employees.We need skilled and safe
drivers and helpful, friendly rail guards.The rail operating businesses
together employ over 4,400 people, contributing to the well-being
of the local community by providing a source of employment.
A challenge for our industry is the high turnover of staff due
to shift work and the stress linked to public-facing transport roles.
We provide a competitive benefits package and development
training to attract and retain good people.
Recruitment: targeting and WorkRight at Southern
Competition for good people is intense in London and the
South-East. We recruited nearly 700 people last year, a necessary
level for maintaining and improving our service standards.
We advertise using websites, vehicles, local press and media.
Southern uses a specialist advertising recruitment company
to target a range of prospective employees through careful
research and specialist media sources.
Training and development: Passport 2 Learning
Our employees expect opportunities to learn new skills and
further their careers. Our rail companies invested £1.68m in
training last year, providing in-house academies, third-party
courses and access to colleges.
Passport 2 Learning is designed to help Southern’s employees
develop new skills.The scheme involves over 40 rail union
representatives promoting learning opportunities from English
and maths to gardening. An IT learning centre set up at
Southern’s Head Office has also proven a great success.
Competition for good people is intense
Number of employees
Average turnover
rate % (04-05)
Average turnover
rate % (03-04)
4,481
11.06
11.70
1.3
Physical assaults on staff
per million passenger journeys
14
28
Signals passed at danger
(04-05)
Signals passed at danger
(03-04)
Diversity by gender (Male)
03-04
Diversity by gender (Female)
04-05
SPAD’s per million train miles
Our average
Industry average
0.58
1.16
3,848
3,755
04-05
03-04
633
605
The Workplace > Rail Operations
Customer service skills are an
important element of training
Equality and diversity
Each of the Go-Ahead rail operating companies has an Equal
Opportunities policy and this is reflected in all their recruitment
practices.
It is increasingly important that our workforce reflects the diverse,
multi-racial society that it serves. Over 50% of Thameslink’s new
employees come from a variety of ethnic minority backgrounds,
and this year, the company ran recruitment campaigns in the gay
and lesbian press and in various ethnic titles.
The rail industry, like the bus industry, has traditionally been
a male dominated sector, particularly among drivers.This is
reflected in the relatively small proportion of women employed
by the Group.There are a number of reasons for this including
shift working and security issues. We are working to address this.
Employee dialogue
Both our rail companies recognise Trade Unions and work
closely with them.The companies within the rail division
recognise ASLEF, AMICUS, Unison and the National Union of Rail,
Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) and the TSSA. All have
regular meetings to discuss employee conditions and wider
company strategy.
Southern’s Stakeholder Advisory Board represents employees’
interests alongside those of passengers and representatives
from large employers. For the Board’s full reports, see
www.southernrailway.com.
Diversity by age
16-19: 0.7%
20-29: 12.6%
30-39: 30.1%
40-49: 31.9%
50-59: 20.4%
60-64: 4.1%
65+: 0.2%
Health and safety
Both of our rail operating companies seek to foster a health
and safety culture whereby every employee takes personal
responsibility for health and safety issues. Managers, supervisors,
guards and drivers are encouraged to raise issues and concerns
on a day-to-day basis. Health and safety forms a major
part of driver induction and refresher training is provided for all.
We consult with our unions on improving safety and employ
an external consultant to monitor and audit our performance.
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Go-Ahead Environmental and Social Report 2005
THE ENVIRONMENT > RAIL OPERATIONS
Our responsibilities to the environment
Rail companies have a direct impact on the environment through
the greenhouse gases and local air pollutants emitted by trains.
The majority of our trains use electricity for traction.
Our depots also use energy for maintenance, heating and cooling.
Our main responsibility is to play our part in minimising the
environmental impact of our trains, particularly emissions and noise.
We do this through good maintenance and investment in our fleet.
On some issues (the provision of air conditioning in carriages, for
example) we must offset the benefits of attracting new customers
through enhanced levels of comfort against the increased financial
and environmental costs involved. Overall, it is our view that
attracting customers away from private cars and on to trains
will deliver the greatest environmental return.
Measuring our environmental impact
The majority of our fleet runs on electricity. We report on
the electricity consumed for traction as a key indicator of
environmental performance.
However, the complexities of the rail industry mean that this
is only a broad guide to environmental impact. Network Rail
controls the infrastructure used to supply traction power to
trains, and at present, has no system to determine exactly how
much power any individual train is consuming. Network Rail
therefore apportions a share of total consumption to each train
company based on factors such as the number of trains operated,
the type of trains and the number of journeys made.
Measuring the environmental impact of trains is a complex process
This calculation means that any reductions in our consumption
through reducing mileage and improving energy efficiency by
coasting or switching off non-essential on-board equipment
when not required, will not be reflected in any measurable
reduction in consumption.
How we manage our environmental impact
We have developed our own environmental management system,
identifying our environmental impacts, and setting objectives and
targets to manage them. Each operating company is responsible for
managing and reducing its impacts. We share experience through
an internal forum dedicated to social and environmental issues.
We gather data annually, using systems verified by a third party.
Our main environmental impacts
Our most significant impact is the air emissions created through
electricity generation.
Rail services can and do replace the private car.This helps
manage the air emissions generated by the huge recent explosion
in car travel.
Electricity usage for
traction (Kwh)
475,418
Air pollution per passenger
journey: CO2
04-05
03-04
1.31
1.20
The Community > Rail operations
THE COMMUNITY > RAIL OPERATIONS
Our responsibilities to the community
Rail companies are an integral part of local communities; they
provide essential services to a wide range of people, but particularly
to those most at risk of exclusion. Our commuter services help
many people get to and from work, and our primary responsibility
in the community is therefore to invest in improving our services.
A pro-active approach to the problem of graffiti
All our operating companies work with partners to improve the
transport infrastructure within the communities where they operate.
It is in our interests to contribute to the well-being of local
communities. Thriving economies means more passengers.
Improving the social fabric of communities can contribute to
reducing vandalism and crime at our stations and on our trains.
Supporting local causes
All our operating companies support local community activities
in their area. This can be through raising funds for charities,
small cash donations or more typically, free rail passes. Examples
of projects supported by the rail operating companies are:
Initiatives to tackle crime including partnerships with
Local Authorities, schools and housing authorities
Local regeneration, particularly relating to transport
Provision of free transport for charitable causes
Supporting causes linked to employees
Pro-active response to community issues:
Thameslink’s anti-graffiti strategy
Graffiti is a problem facing many towns and cities.Thameslink
has taken a pro-active approach to occurrences of the problem
at Wimbledon Chase and Tooting stations.
At Wimbledon Chase, the company developed a relationship
with the local school.This has so far included sponsorship of
the school football team, and of the school’s awards for academic
achievement, community contribution and for citizenship.
The relationship has helped create a sense of pride in Thameslink
and we work with the school on raising standards of behaviour.
At Tooting,Thameslink worked with the London Probation Service
to create an engaging mural depicting views from Thameslink trains.
A professional artist created the mural outline and supervised
offenders in completing the picture. Scenes range from St Paul’s
to the Oxo Tower. We will monitor the success of the murals
in reducing vandalism.
Travel tickets for charity raffles
Community spend
£90,596: (28%) of total Group
spend (£327,470)
At a local operating company level
community investment is driven
through ‘support in kind’ activities,
while the PLC handles direct financial
donations. The figures above include
an element of both these community
investment streams.
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Go-Ahead Environmental and Social Report 2005
THE MARKETPLACE > AVIATION SUPPORT SERVICES
AND PARKING
Our responsibilities in the marketplace
Go-Ahead’s presence in the wider aviation market comes through our
companies aviance and Meteor. The business of aviance is offering ground
services at 18 airports across the UK and Ireland, handling 44 million
passengers each year as well as loading and unloading cargo planes.
Meteor is our parking business and provides many synergies
with other Go-Ahead operating companies. In aviation, Meteor
manages in excess of 40,000 car parking spaces on behalf of
the British Airports Authority (BAA) at airports including London
Heathrow, London Stansted, Edinburgh and Newcastle. Meteor
also offers Park and Ride services and across all its operations
it manages over 77,000 spaces. Most of the impacts for Meteor
are reported within the bus section.
Both companies offer distinct services but also form part of
the wider infrastructure that is integral to the successful operation
of a modern efficient airport.
About ground handling
Ground handling covers a range of services. Passenger check-in,
information desks and business lounges are all aviance services.
Behind the scenes, aviance manages baggage handling, cargo
loading and unloading, cargo customs clearance, cargo security
screening and aircraft coordination. We work for airlines including
Virgin Atlantic, Northwest, First Choice and KLM.
Ground handling is a competitive industry operating in a difficult
marketplace.The international airline industry has experienced
considerable shocks – international terrorism, the outbreak of
SARS and Bird Flu in Asia and now spiralling fuel costs.
At the same time, the structure of the industry is changing
through the continued growth of the low-cost airlines.Together,
these factors explain why airlines still place cost as their number
one priority in selecting a passenger ground handling service.
Customer service: keeping flights moving
The most significant passenger service issues for aviance are delayed
flights and lost baggage. Delayed flights have a significant impact
on passengers, the airline and the efficient running of the airport.
Our most important responsibility is to make sure that staffing
levels are adequate to deal with each flight.This requires a regular
review of rosters to ensure that the workforce is deployed to
meet operational requirements.
Our success in reducing delays depends on the care and
attention of our staff. We use a range of activities to reduce
delays including weekly performance meetings, newsletters,
training and financial incentives.
At Gatwick, aviance has launched two high profile campaigns:
‘Strive for Minus 5’ aims to complete turnaround activities
5 minutes before the scheduled time for departure; the ‘Going
the Extra’ campaign rewards individuals for exceeding customer
expectations.
On lost baggage, we introduced a mobile phone system for
baggage transfer departments.This simple solution helped us
overcome the problem of not being able to give passengers
up-to-date, accurate information.
Safety at car parks: ParkMark
Tackling crime and the fear of crime in car parking facilities is
important to Meteor customers. We aim to provide a safe nonthreatening environment where users can be confident of their
safety.The Safer Parking Awards is a scheme to provide comfort
to car park users that their safety and that of their property is
taken seriously. It is operated in conjunction with the Association of
Chief Police Officers and the British Parking Association.
To be accredited with the scheme’s ParkMark, a parking facility
must be independently assessed by Police crime prevention
officers for the effective management of crime. So far, ten Meteor
sites have secured the ParkMark.
Ten Meteor sites have secured
the ParkMark award
The Workplace > Aviation support services and parking
THE WORKPLACE > AVIATION SUPPORT SERVICES
AND PARKING
Our responsibilities in the workplace
The aviation support services and parking businesses together employ about
6,000 people providing employment to local communities. A challenge for
Go-Ahead is that a combination of shift work and considerable competition
for people means that we have a high turnover of staff.
We provide a competitive benefits package and professional development
opportunities to attract and retain good people.
Out of a total of 1.05 million man days worked
by aviance employees during the year, 158 were
lost at Dublin Airport when 60 ramp staff
walked off the job. The dispute was resolved
through a national agreement with the unions
on a process to introduce new working
practices and contracts. Impact on plane
turnarounds was minimal.
Recruitment
There is a lot of interest in working at an airport. Even so,
competition for good people is intense. Last year, we recruited
nearly 1,700 people and this level of recruitment is necessary to
maintain and improve the level of service we provide. We advertise
using specialist aviation recruitment websites, job fairs and through
the local press and media. All our operating companies have
tailored induction and training programmes. Meteor is targeting
the over-50 age range in its current recruitment.
Health and safety
We are committed to achieving the highest standards of safety
for our employees, passengers and the general public.
Training and development
Our employees expect opportunities to learn new skills, further
careers and improve. Our aviation companies invested £0.63m
in training last year. We provide in-house training academies,
third-party courses and access to colleges. Both aviance and
Meteor share a commitment to the personal and professional
development of their staff.
Handling heavy baggage can cause strains and injuries.To combat
this, aviance successfully secured support from the airlines, other
handling companies and airport operators to introduce a limit
of 32kg per piece of luggage at Gatwick, Heathrow, Stansted,
Southampton, Manchester and Edinburgh.
In addition, the company has completed a successful trial with
Active Health Partnerships at Gatwick Airport. Improved
treatment for injuries, medical advice and monitoring of sickness
have helped reduce absenteeism from 5.64% to 3.83%. A trial at
Heathrow is looking into offering physiotherapy sessions on site.
Equality and diversity
Both businesses have Equal Opportunities policies
and this is reflected in all their recruitment practices.
Employee dialogue
Employee relations have been difficult across the ground-handling
industry in the UK and Ireland. Cost continues to be the driving
concern of airline customers faced by difficult market conditions
and severe competition. Cost concerns are leading to pressures
for changes in working practices.
Diversity by gender (Male)
Total number of employees
04-05
03-04
02-03
We seek to foster a health and safety culture whereby every
employee takes personal responsibility for health and safety issues.
Managers, supervisors, drivers and ground staff are encouraged
to raise issues and concerns on a day-to-day basis. We consult
with our unions on improving safety, and we employ an external
consultancy to monitor and audit health and safety performance.
5,803
5,084
4,911
03-04
02-03
Diversity by gender (Female)
04-05
03-04
02-03
Diversity by age
4,349
3,696
3,429
04-05
1,454
1,388
1,482
16-19: 2.9%
20-29: 25.0%
30-39: 27.2%
40-49: 25.0%
50-59: 15.2%
60-64: 3.4%
65+: 1.3%
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Go-Ahead Environmental and Social Report 2005
THE ENVIRONMENT > AVIATION SUPPORT SERVICES
AND PARKING
Our responsibilities to the environment
With over 75 buses the most significant impact for Meteor relates
to air emissions. Air pollution caused by exhaust emissions affects
health through the air we breathe and is also linked to climate change.
Meteor’s environmental impact relating to this area is reported as part
of the bus section of this report.
There are a number of challenges for aviance when it comes
to demonstrating environmental improvement. Ground-handling
relies on the infrastructure of an airport, which is provided by
the airport operator. As such, aviance cannot always isolate its
environmental impact.
The company has established an Environmental Management
System (EMS) based on the principles of the ISO 14001
environmental standard.The EMS is audited internally and
externally.
Both Meteor and aviance have signed up to the BAA Clean
Vehicle Programme at Heathrow.The programme is designed to
help all companies that form part of the airport community to
identify and deliver practical environmental improvements to their
vehicle fleets. Improvements include researching alternative fuels
and promoting car sharing. Meteor has secured a silver award,
the second tier of the five tiers in the framework. It is now
looking to secure the “gold” award already achieved by aviance.
Priorities for next year
• Achieve the Gold Standard in Heathrow’s
clean vehicle programme
What we can do better!
• Develop new processes to help passengers
with physical disabilities
We support BAA’s Clean Vehicle Programme at Heathrow
The Community > Aviation support services and parking
THE COMMUNITY > AVIATION SUPPORT SERVICES
AND PARKING
Our responsibilities in the community
Meteor and aviance are part of the fabric of the airports, hospitals and
shopping centres where we manage car parks or provide services.
Besides employing local people, we contribute to the well-being of
local communities through a number of other initiatives.
Supporting staff fundraising
February 14th was Wear it Red day, raising vital funds to support
children living with major heart defects. People could donate
£1 by wearing red clothing for the day or they were able to
wear their hearts on their sleeves by purchasing the British Heart
Foundation red ribbon. A 15-person fundraising team, made up of
our employees, set about enthusiastically raising funds from staff
and customers. We successfully raised £1,500 from customers at
Stansted, Edinburgh, Heathrow, Newcastle and Blackburn Hospital.
Meteor added a further £650 to raise the total to £2,200.
Community spend
£37,761: (11%) of total Group
spend (£327,470)
At a local operating company level
community investment is driven
through ‘support in kind’ activities,
while the PLC handles direct financial
donations. The figures above include
an element of both these community
investment streams.
23
Go-Ahead Environmental and Social Report 2005
SUMMARY INDEPENDENT VERIFICATION AND AUDIT STATEMENT
The SMART Company was commissioned by the Go-Ahead Group
plc to undertake an independent review of their Environmental and
Social Report for the period July 2004 to June 2005. An Associate
Director, who did not participate in the data gathering and report
writing process, conducted the verification.
The verification was undertaken using the principles of the
assurance standard AA1000: materiality completeness and
responsiveness.This is the fourth consecutive year that SMART has
provided assurance for Go Ahead and we have undertaken a rolling
programme of audits, ensuring all operating companies have been
audited at least once during this period. In 2005 a sample of three
operating companies was visited as part of the verification process.
Sample checks of the data sources were undertaken and
interviews were conducted with members of the management
team who had been responsible for data collection. We are
therefore satisfied that this report is a reliable and accurate
reflection of the performance of the company. A full verification
report, containing a more detailed analysis together with
recommendations for developing the processes for measuring,
managing and reporting Go-Ahead plc’s environmental and
social impacts, can be found at
www.go-ahead.com/corporateresponsibility.
Helen Rushton
Associate Director,The SMART Company, September 2005
Go-Ahead Group
Total
Head Office
59.62
70.67
31.33
18.29
22.51
11.4
27.35
-
3.5
-
259
35.84
69.06
295.33
42.74
18.01
16.93
42.14
120.9
44
5.4
-
690
Bus fleet size
263
810
1,269
353
156
381
-
-
-
78
-
3,310
Average age of fleet
5.74
6.67
3.81
4.50
6.30
9.07
-
-
-
5.42
-
5.52
50
49
96
82
85
21
-
-
-
67
-
69
Meteor
14.64
Passenger journeys (million)
Aviance
Southern
Vehicle kms travelled (million)
Metrobus
Thameslink
Wilts and Dorset
Oxford Bus
Company
London Central
and General
Go North East
COMPANY SPECIFIC DATA TABLE
Brighton & Hove
24
2004/05 data
Environment
Fleet with CRT (%)
Electricity usage for traction power
(000/kwh)
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
CO2 process ppj (kg)
0.48
0.81
0.32
0.63
0.91
1.06
- 146,374 329,045
1.50
1.25
9.65
0.70
- 475,418
-
0.66
CO ppj (g)
0.45
1.00
0.11
0.45
0.86
2.18
-
-
-
0.41
-
0.40
NOx ppj (g)
4.55
7.82
2.68
5.57
8.26
11.27
-
-
-
6.42
-
4.34
PM ppj (g)
0.06
0.12
0.01
0.06
0.03
0.39
-
-
-
0.05
-
0.05
HC ppj (g)
0.23
0.53
0.05
0.25
0.29
1.17
-
-
-
0.14
-
0.20
Society
Fleet with low floor (%)
Scheduled km operated (%)
SPADs
Women employed (%)
Average length of service
(years and months)
63
54
82
83
45
49
-
-
-
71
-
68.2
99.50
98.70
98.10
99.20
98.50
99.20
-
-
-
-
-
98.87
-
-
-
-
-
-
1
13
-
-
-
14
10.3
8.6
6.1
8.6
10.3
11.2
17.1
13.4
26.7
16.5
44.4
14.75
7y10m 10y10m
8y6m
4y5m
6y11m
7y6m
7y1m
8y8m
5y4m
2y3m
7y6m
-
Turnover rate (%)
18.4
18.5
23.8
18.0
21.6
22.8
12.6
10.7
37.8
39.2
20.4
23.8
Absence rate (%)
8.0
4.8
4.8
8.0
6.8
5.4
4.1
3.5
5.3
4
0.8
5.00
2,110
33,506
27,900
-
47,747
17,800
6,850
60,396
12,375
Charitable giving and investment (£)
2,036 116,750 327,470
BITC CR INDEX
During the year, Go-Ahead took part in a number of rating and
benchmarking exercises including the Business in the Community
Corporate Responsibility Index. We achieved a score of 81% and
were delighted to be ranked number one among the public
transport providers that participated.
Group reporting
Corporate Responsibility reports for each of the
Go-Ahead operating companies are available.These
are available from The Go-Ahead Group plc at the
address on the back cover. Go-Ahead’s operations
span bus, rail, parking and aviation support services.
The companies within the group are:
aviance
Brighton & Hove Bus Company
Go North East
London General & London Central
Meteor
Metrobus
Oxford Bus Company
Southern
Thameslink
Wilts & Dorset
There are no reports for Southern Vectis or Solent
Blue Line as these companies were acquired after
the reporting period closed.
Contacts and feedback
More information on how Go-Ahead and each of its
ten operating companies manage their responsibilities can be
found at www.go-ahead.com/corporateresponsibility
If you have any comments, views or ideas on how we
might improve, or have any thoughts on other issues
that we should address in this report, please write to:
Stephen Weldon
Corporate Responsibility
The Go-Ahead Group plc
3rd Floor
41-51 Grey Street
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 6EE
Telephone: 0191 232 3123
Facsimile: 0191 221 0315
E-mail: corporate.responsibility@go-ahead.com
This report was put together by The Go-Ahead Group with help from The SMART Company, and
designed and produced by Rare Corporate Design, London.
Printed by Beacon Press using their
environmental print technology which minimises any
negative environmental impacts resulting from the printing of this document.
includes the
use of vegetable based inks, recycling of 88% of dry waste and 95% of cleaning solvents for future
use. Beacon Press uses 100% renewable energy, is a Carbon Neutral company, has ISO14001
& EMAS accreditation and holds the Queen's Award for Sustainable Development.
Printed on Revive Matt which is made from 75% post consumer waste and 25% mill broke.
In order to minimise the environmental impacts of our reports, Go Ahead is working with The
CarbonNeutral Company to assess and 'offset' the greenhouse gas emissions created by the
production and distribution of our annual and corporate responsibility reports. 16.64 tonnes of CO2
will be balanced through native forestry Donkleywood, a UK Forestry project in Northumberland,
making both these reports CarbonNeutral.
For more information about other projects from The CarbonNeutral Company go to
www.carbonneutral.com or call 08701 99 99 88.