Social

Go-Ahead plays a vital role in underpinning social and economic activity in the communities where we operate.

We play an important role ensuring that millions of people are able to get to work, education and access services, through to the people we employ and place great importance on partnership, adopting a collaborative approach with governments, local communities and suppliers; developing and running services that create long term value for all of us.

The transport we provide helps to support economic growth. We make a significant and positive contribution to the communities in which we operate and do so in a responsible way. As a significant purchaser of products and services, our operations provide funds to suppliers. We manage this value chain to minimise risks and contribute to the efficient delivery of our services. We work closely with central and local government to shape policy and regulatory changes which enhance the future of transport and contribute to fiscal revenue through our tax payments.

We are passionate about delivering great public transport that is safe, convenient and inclusive and accessible. We employ around 27,000 people and are committed to creating an environment which is safe, that is inclusive and diverse, focuses on learning and development and promotes high levels of engagement.

Our relationship with these stakeholders are key to our success.

Targets

20%

target to increase female representation across our bus businesses by 2025

21%

target of female representation across our rail business by 2025

33%

target of allocating our influenceable spend to small and medium-sized enterprises by 2023

Initiatives

  • Go-Ahead is the only UK public transport operator registered as an approved provider delivering apprenticeships across both bus and rail
  • Launched an industry first ‘Women in Bus’ colleague led network, designed to support and empower female colleagues across our bus divisions
  • Launched an industry first Sustainable Supply Chain Charter in the UK which is a comprehensive supply chain policy that establishes minimum criteria in core areas of corporate social responsibility
  • Invested nearly £5m in our local communities over the last five years through our corporate donations, colleague fundraising and volunteering efforts

  • All of our customer-facing staff are trained in assisting people living with dementia and those who are blind or partially sighted

  • Launched the ‘Helping Hand’ card scheme across our UK bus network which helps passengers with accessibility needs, specifically hidden disabilities, communicate with bus drivers
  • Introduced mental health first aiders  across our operations 
  • Launched ‘Chatty Bus’ campaign across UK bus operations, encouraging passengers to talk to someone new every day
  • Part of the three year Business in the Community Place campaign, aimed to bring together and build trust between businesses and their neighbours in communities across the UK

  • Champion of the Government’s ‘Tackling Loneliness Network’ helping connect groups at risk of isolation

Disclosure and verification 

  • Investors in People (IiP) Gold accreditation for Group head office, recognising the way we lead, support and manage our colleagues to promote a culture of high performance
  • Members of the Prompt Payment Code, committed to paying our suppliers fairly and on time
  • Operate in accordance with the ISO 20400:2017 standard on sustainable procurement including accountability, transparency, respect for human rights and ethical behaviour

COVID-19

We are committed to providing the highest standards of health and safety across our services. Through our normal business activities, we face a wide range of hazards which we manage through effective controls. We have been operating through a time of heightened risk with the COVID-19 pandemic adding considerably to our health and safety agenda and have taken appropriate measures to protect our colleagues, customers and the communities we serve. 

In line with Government guidance and the easing of COVID measures, we are constantly evaluating our COVID-19 response. However, for now we retain many of the measures introduced at the height of the pandemic. 

Measures taken include: 

  • Enhanced cleaning of vehicles and the introduction of social distancing measures 
  • Developed the ‘When2Travel’ app, a predictive tool to help customers plan the best time to travel on our bus services to enable social distancing
  • Weight sensors fitted on the trains to identify when they reach maximum capacity while allowing space for social distancing, enabling front line colleagues to assist passengers on which train to board 
  • Cash handling reduced with more contactless payments being made across our services
  • In-house apps developed providing up-to-date information on cleaning and social distancing for colleagues