Environmental Management Plan
Introduction
Bayes Coachlines seeks excellence in every aspect of our business and is committed to minimising the environmental impacts of our business operations. We are continually looking for ways to improve our business and our role within the environment.
We live and work in the beautiful Hibiscus Coast area, providing school and charter services across Auckland and tours throughout New Zealand. We have a stunning country and are keen to play our part in sustaining and preserving it. We place high importance on ensuring we minimise the impact of our operations on the environment.
Environmental Management Plan Responsibilities
Our Chief Executive Officer, John Bayes, holds ownership of the Environmental Management Plan. However, all of our team are tasked with ensuring what they do does not adversely impact on the environment - from driving more smoothly to reduce fuel consumption (our vehicles have telematics systems installed that monitor driver behaviour and reports on braking, coasting, accelerating etc), to recycling waste.
Environmental Accreditation
Bayes Coachlines is very proud to have been awarded the Qualmark Enviro Gold standard (even more so because we are currently the only bus operator in New Zealand that holds this rating). Qualmark is New Zealand Tourism’s official quality assurance organisation. Companies who have met this standard are entitled to display the Qualmark symbol which provides assurance that the business has met stringent quality standards and environmental criteria.
Qualmark only awards marks to qualifying tourism businesses that have reached the high standard required by the Qualmark licensing system. Qualmark accredited businesses are independently evaluated by a Qualmark Tourism Business Advisor.
Enviro Awards are determined through five key action areas: energy efficiency, water conservation, waste management, conservation initiatives and community activities. The Enviro Gold evaluation checks that a business has met the following standards:
- Minimum requirements have been met (waste reduction/recycling, environmental checklist complete, environmental claims are verified)
- Considerable initiatives are in place to mitigate major energy, water and waste usage
- Significant contribution towards community or conservation activities
- Documented monitoring of one or more relevant resource usages
- Individuals or teams within the business have been given formal responsibility to ensure the environmental action plan is being implemented
- A sustainability policy/statement has been completed and is being publicly displayed
Environmental Management Plan Objectives
To ensure we improve our business and limit our impact on the environment we:
- Strive to continuously improve our environmental performance and integrate recognised applicable best practice into our business operations
- Reduce our consumption of resources and improve efficiency in the use of these resources
- Manage waste generated from our business operations according to the principles of reduction, reuse and recycling
- Manage our business operations to prevent pollution
- Give due consideration to environmental issues in the acquisition, design and location of buildings, equipment and vehicles. Ensuring we purchase and operate fuel-efficient and the latest environmentally-friendly vehicles
- Ensure environmental criteria are taken into account in the procurement of goods and services
- Comply with all relevant environmental legislation
Sustainability Policy
We believe that public transport has a key role to play in Auckland to reduce congestion and pollution. Bayes Coachlines is a passenger transport operator and actively promotes travel by bus, coach, ferry and train to reduce congestion, CO2 emissions and increase people’s access to jobs, key services and leisure. We recognise that our activities have an impact on the environment and we therefore have a responsibility to reduce the energy and water we use. We take actions to safeguard the environment and minimise the detrimental effects of our operations. Our Management Team sets the environmental policy, establishes the appropriate organisational arrangements and provides the necessary resources to achieve our objectives. We regularly monitor our performance to ensure the policy objectives are met. They will be reviewed annually and revised as necessary to reflect operational and legislative changes.
Environmental Management Plan Actions and Sustainability
The table below shows the actions that Bayes Coachlines currently undertakes to reduce the impact of our operation on the environment.
Area |
Initiative |
Action |
Continuous Improvement and future plans |
Vehicle |
Emissions |
Purchase only Euro 6 vehicles |
In 2018 we have nine Euro 6 vehicles being added to the fleet |
|
|
Replace older more polluting and fuel inefficient vehicles |
Increase pace of replacement when funds allow |
|
Fuel Consumption |
Monitor fuel dispensed to each bus to identify issues |
iBright telematics system to increase level of information about vehicle performance |
|
|
Automatic engine shutdown fitted to all new coaches. Telematics system provides an alert if vehicle idles for more than 3 minutes |
Reduce length of time before shut down where possible |
Maintenance |
Tyres |
Pressures are checked at each service for correct inflation to reduce wear and increase fuel consumption |
Automated monitoring is being investigated and trialled |
|
|
Tyres are retread 2-3 times before disposal (these are fitted to the drive axles not the steering axle) |
|
|
|
Used tyres are recycled |
|
|
Cooling System |
Only environmentally friendly and biodegradable fluids used |
These are long-life coolants so that they don’t need to be replaced reducing waste |
|
Transmission Fluid |
Our fleet with ZF transmissions use a fluid that reduces the servicing and oil change requirements immensely ie 3 years or 120 000 km |
|
|
Glass |
Glass is repaired where possible before replacement |
|
|
|
Cracked screens are sent for recycling |
|
|
Vehicles |
Engines are regularly steam cleaned to assist in the identification of oil and fuel leaks |
|
|
|
Leaks are repaired at the earliest opportunity to reduce wastage and fire risk |
|
|
Parts |
Parts are purchased using whole of life principals which reduces waste |
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|
|
Obsolete parts are sold where possible before disposal |
|
|
Ball Joints |
We use a specialist company to overhaul our ball joints so that they don’t have to be replaced and therefore reduce waste |
|
|
Equipment |
Environment considered when purchasing maintenance equipment so that uses less power/water |
|
|
Recycling |
Batteries, scrap metal, tyres, and waste oils are recycled |
|
Depot |
Noise |
Located in a rural area away from residential houses to reduce noise impact of vehicle movements |
|
|
Heat and Light |
Office and maintenance buildings designed to deliver natural light and retain heat, LED lights are used in building, including workshop lighting |
Monitoring power consumption each month |
|
Water |
Depot roof set up to enable water capture to storage tanks (5) for use in bus wash |
|
|
|
Bus wash uses water from roof and recycles 80% of water used |
|
|
|
Storm water runoff is restricted and contained in holding tanks |
|
|
Fuel and Oil Spills |
Bunded storage of fuel, oil and coolant to reduce risk of spills |
|
Staff |
Fuel Efficiency |
Training of staff to consider environmental impact of running vehicles, no unnecessary idling, over-revving, speeding |
Refresher training and alerts/reports from telematics system |
|
Condition Checks |
All vehicles have a pre-departure or handover check which includes visual check for oil and fuel leaks and tyre condition and inflation |
|
|
Fuel and Oil Spills |
Staff are trained in the use of spill containment kits located at refuelling point |
|
|
Recycling |
Recycled paper is used in the office and printer ink cartridges refilled if possible. All plastics, tins and glass are recycled |
|
Operations |
Vehicle Movements |
Reduction of vehicle movements through efficient scheduling and use of cars instead of buses when available |
Continuously looking for opportunities to increase efficiency and reduce ‘dead’ kms |
|
Emailed Payslips |
Emailing of payslips to staff to avoid unnecessary printing |
|
|
Electronic Files |
Where possible, all files are held electronically rather than printed |
|
Suppliers |
Procurement |
Look for suppliers that share the same philosophy and goal of reducing environmental impact |
|
Continuous Improvement, Goals and Monitoring
Bayes Coachlines is always seeking ways to reduce our environmental impact. We seek out best practice, purchase environmentally-friendly vehicles and get our staff involved by asking them to make suggestions of ways they can assist.
When we designed our current depot (constructed in 2010) we ensured that the decisions we made would mean minimal impact on the environment, reducing depot energy usage, and our carbon footprint. As an example, the office and maintenance buildings were designed to deliver natural light and retain heat, and then LED lights were installed in the building, including workshop lighting. The depot roof was designed to enable water capture to 5 storage tanks for use in our automated bus wash that is environmentally friendly (by recycling and purifying the water we use in our drive-through bus wash we are able to re-use 80% of it).
We continually monitor our performance to see where improvements can be made:
- Environmental incidents - reporting of incident, lessons learned and remedial action plans
- Vehicle fuel consumption – through analysis of fuel monitoring equipment
- Depot inspections – oil leaks in yard, efficiency of equipment, fuel and oil leaks from dispensers, empty containers stored in a manner that prevents entry of rainwater, monthly storm water checks etc
- Auckland Council annual environmental inspections
Looking to the future, we will review more business activities and processes for areas where we can improve our operational environmental measures and move towards a strategic approach on how to deal with environmental challenges. We are investigating the acquisition of Electric buses. We have also begun communications with Auckland Transport to explore the possibility of including electric vehicle-related infrastructure into their existing road traffic system (create a network of charging points for electric vehicles).
Refer to our Service Delivery Operations Plan for links to policies and procedures that re-enforce our Environmental Policy.
“ Hi Richard, Now that the dust has settled on our side, I wanted to tell you how thoroughly impressed we were with your company and the drivers we had, in particular Gavin ****, who went above-and-beyond the call of duty in helping us make this a grea... ” read more
Christopher ******, Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School