Press release -
BUS OPERATORS COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABILITY HELP IMPROVE AIR QUALITY AND COMMUNITY IN OXFORDSHIRE
- Bus services have played a critical role in keeping communities connected during Covid-19
- Oxford Bus Company, Thames Travel and City Sightseeing Oxford are supporting small and medium-sized enterprises Oxfordshire
- Commitment to community highlighted in annual sustainability report
Oxford Bus Company, Thames Travel and City Sightseeing Oxford’s commitment to their people, passengers and the Oxfordshire community has been highlighted through their annual sustainability report, published today.
The report highlights how the businesses have supported a wide variety of charities and other good causes, helping to build a stronger local community through challenges and fundraising activities. This has included the Brand the Bus competition, which was won by Home-Start Oxford this year resulting in the good cause having its branding displayed on a bus.
Oxford Bus Company, Thames Travel and City Sightseeing Oxford’s parent company, Go-Ahead, announced a target today that a third of spend that can be directly controlled will go towards creating, maintaining and finding contracts with local businesses. Controllable spend refers to spending outside of long-term contractual agreements.
Through the pandemic Oxford Bus Company and Thames Travel have supported and served Oxfordshire in new ways, including amending bus timetables to align with NHS workers’ shift patterns and running shuttle services to essential hospitals and airports.
Other sustainability achievements highlighted in the report include contributing to cleaner air in Oxford. Oxford Bus Company and Thames Travel invested £1.2M in eight new ultra-low emission vehicles this year. It means more than two-thirds of the fleet now meet Euro VI emissions standard. City Sightseeing Oxford also launched its first electric bus in the city. This year a study confirmed NOx emissions from buses has decreased by half, from 64% of total emissions to 32% since 2013.
Oxford Bus Company and Thames Travel also invested in technological developments which has helped meet the challenges of COVID-19. New contactless technology has been added to all fleets to provide customers with convenient touch free options for travel. This now complements enhanced daily cleaning regimes on all vehicles. Oxford Bus Company and Thames Travel achieved industry leading customer satisfaction score in regional bus of 92%. They also scooped five industry awards.
Phil Southall, Managing Director of Oxford Bus Company, Thames Travel and City Sightseeing Oxford said: “2020 has been a tumultuous year for the business, with the COVID-19 pandemic causing unprecedented challenges for us. I’m really proud of how my colleagues right across the business have risen to the many challenges that have faced us during this period, and that we’ve been able to continue to deliver our services for our customers, colleagues and communities in such tough times.”
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The Oxford Bus Company has kept the people of Oxford moving since 1881. Our services now span the width and breadth of Oxford and also take passengers to Heathrow and Gatwick Airports. In addition, our City Sightseeing Oxford hop-on, hop-off open topped bus company provides enjoyable tours of Oxford. And our sister companies, Thames Travel and Carousel Buses provide convenient travel services across South Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire respectively.
