Our commitment to the local community
As a major transport operator in the region, we fully embrace our responsibilities and commitments to the local community and to the families who live within it.
Being a good neighbour
Somerset County, and particularly West Somerset and the rural villages closest to HPC site suffers from low social mobility. Due to limited transport links and infrastructure, some communities and community groups nearest to the HPC site have difficulty connecting to local events and activities in the larger nearby towns.
We appreciate how crucial transport can be in helping to support our closest neighbours and the enormous benefits that come from helping those who may not be able to travel often and easily to visit areas and attractions around the county. We have supported these neighbours in the last year with a number of pro bono trips.
Our Fly Parking supervisors continually patrol in the local community. Positive feedback from HOST, business owners, the community and local councillors show the positive impact this team is making to ensure the workforce abide by the HPC workers code of conduct.
Community Bus Service
We provide a community bus which runs from Bridgwater to Minehead, Monday to Friday. Please click here for the timetable on the EDF website.
Investment in local people
We continually provide a huge number of employment pathways for the people of Somerset, offering excellent opportunities to learn new skills and develop existing experience. We have already created over 500 jobs within the region and expect to create hundreds more over the next few years in a variety of roles.
In 2021 we invested £1 million in cutting edge technology and developed the technical capability of our transport service, enabling us to create a group of highly-trained, skilled and motivated staff ready for the next step in their careers. We are committed to leaving a legacy in the local area by providing the skills necessary for the current and future to continue providing passenger transport solutions.
Charity donations
We are proud of our commitment to raising money for charities. Over the past year our colleagues have come together to raise money for lots of different causes:
- Driver Sharon Kerr completed a 16-mile walk to support a fellow colleague and raised over £300 for Macmillan Cancer Support. Our annual cake sale also raised an additional £900.
- A charity partnership with Dorset & Somerset Air Ambulance raised £1,300. We also offered our logistical support for their Coast to Coast Cycle Challenge which raised £27,267.
- The SPS Charity Football match raised over £500 for the DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal.
Working with Avon & Somerset Police
We are proud of our work with Avon and Somerset Police supporting them to identifying dangerous driving.
Working with their Tactical Support Team, officers patrolled the local community in a double-decker bus provided by SPS to give them an elevated view of drivers inside vehicles. This approach is especially effective to identify drivers using mobile phones whilst at the wheel but also drivers who are distracted by mobile phones whilst driving.
Our collaboration has enabled officers to identify, engage and prosecute drivers committing road traffic offences which ultimately lead to dangerous and inconsiderate driving. We are delighted we are able to play such a positive part in improving safety in our local community, helping to make the roads of Bridgwater and Somerset even safer for all.
Our commitment to the environment
We recognise the need to reduce our carbon emissions, improve the fuel economy of vehicles and also support the local communities agendas to improve air quality.
SPS operates only Euro VI diesel powered engines which produce up to 8 times less Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) emissions than Euro V vehicles. Operating vehicles to this standard ensures SPS positively impacts air quality in the towns and region within which we operate.
The safety of our staff, passengers and other road users is our top priority. Investment in technology, such as Webfleet telematics driver consoles, enables us to support our drivers to provide the best passenger journey. This is achieved through the analysis of data which assesses driving style and how this might be further enhanced. Using this technology directly improves the safety of our drivers and as a result the safety of our passengers and other road users.
This technology also enables us to improve vehicle performance and, with enhanced visibility of the data available, increase overall fleet efficiency. Notable improvements can be identified in mileage and mpg, plus the ability to identify abnormal fuel usage and therefore reduce carbon emissions.
