Set the standard

In places where Veolia Transport buses are equipped with special injection systems, particle filters and catalytic converters that remove harmful particles, certain pilot sites enable us to go further still. In Baltimore, buses and taxis are equipped with hybrid engines that are fuel-efficient and less polluting. New energy sources are being used, including natural gas, Gecam O#, a water-diesel emulsion, and GO TBTS, a low-sulfur content diesel. In France (Nice and the Greater Paris area), buses run on biodiesel produced from decomposed waste or recycled cooking oil. In Helsinki, Finland, vehicles run on Diester; in Dunkirk, France, they run on hydrogen; and in La Rochelle, France, some shuttles are electric. A solar-powered bus is currently being tested in Poland. In all, over 16.5% of Veolia Transport's fleet now runs on alternative fuels.

Veolia Transport has appointed quality correspondents in all the countries where it operates in order to implement the corporate quality policy adopted in December 2008. The network of correspondents is coordinated by the head of corporate quality. They are responsible for ensuring that action plans are implemented according to a three-stage quality process: obtaining the Fundamentals, focusing on Continuous Improvement, and achieving Excellence.

Rapid progress has been achieved as a result of this quality policy. In the United States, for example, nearly 70% of the transit systems now meet the first stage quality requirements. In St Etienne, France, where management decided to take the lead, the system meets the second stage quality standards. The Barcelona light rail system, which boasts a QHSE system with three certifications, and the Nice Ligne d'Azur system, which was recently certified ISO 14001 and 9001, are models in this field. In total, 30% of our transit systems are already ISO 9001, 14001 or OSHAS 18001 certified.

At the same time, our largest transit systems will have to obtain a Quality, Health & Safety and Environment certification or equivalent, like Barcelona's light rail system. EFQM criteria are now consistently included in our services and we therefore provide public authorities with genuine quality commitments regarding organization, on-time performance, regularity, customer service, safety, information, fare evasion and respect for the environment.

Thanks to embedded devices, Veolia Transport drivers now have real-time access to precise information on their vehicle's consumption. They are trained to drive more ecologically, safely and smoothly, which results in signifi cant fuel savings and greatly reduced carbon emissions and noise pollution. Veolia Transport intends to apply this method to all its transportation systems, including rail. In Germany, the NOB rail service reduced its diesel consumption by around 1 million liters a year, or the equivalent of 2,750 metric tons of CO2.