Who we are
We are a team of talented and dedicated individuals who are committed to transporting cruise-ship guests around the greater Victoria area quickly, safely and efficiently – by bus! Sleek, modern, clean and efficient buses that meet or exceed environmental regulations and are driven by courteous drivers who care about the city they live in and the comfort and safety of their guests.
Our team works together to ensure that in everything we do – we are aligned with our purpose, vision and mission.
Our Purpose
To contribute to a resilient community in which we live, work and play. We serve our community through meeting the transportation needs of our guests with courtesy, efficiency and with environmental excellence.
Our Vision
Our vision is to continue to be an employer of choice where all our of people thrive in an atmosphere of acceptance with lived environmental and social values that reflect our commitment to excellence and leadership.
Our Mission
Our mission is to move our clients in the most fuel-efficient and safe manner possible. We will continue to explore all options to reduce our environmental footprint while safely and efficiently moving our passengers throughout the city.
Our Current SDG Goals
It is one thing to acknowledge Sustainable Development Goals – it is another to act on them. At PNWTS we have chosen priority goals to start our journey and want to share that with you. These are measurable actions that will continue to be developed through extensive workshops and planning that will evolve into achieving our commitments for all 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
SDG #1 No Poverty
The goal of SDG #1 is to end poverty in all its forms everywhere.
Poverty is not a problem that belongs to another community or a different part of the world. It is here – in our country and our home city.
Living Wage and Wage Parity
At PNWTS we pay a living wage to all employees so that they can enjoy a sustainable life and we proudly engage a diverse staff with extraordinary capabilities and backgrounds. Our people are here by choice and when they wish to give of themselves to their community, we pay for that time. We prioritize the development of employees to ensure they are set up for their financial success.
Giving
Poverty crosses all gender and social economic lines. Our policy of inclusiveness and servitude includes our contribution to the Victoria Immigrant and Refuge Centre Society and the Victoria Women’s Transition House, helping those who face the potential of poverty in their journey.
Safety and Health
At PNWTS we are serious about ending poverty and are currently looking at potential gaps in our hiring and resume evaluation process to ensure everyone has a go at working here.
Rather than react to system failure, we are developing safe and healthy conversations at every level around employee needs and engagement.
SDG#5 Gender Equality
The goal of SDG #5 is to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.
Wage parity is paramount in a just and caring society. Our wage equality policy and our empowerment of all persons, regardless of how they identify has made PNWTS an employer of choice. We believe in and promote all our persons.
Inclusivity and Support
Gender equality starts where we stand and at PNWTS we are fully inclusive and supportive of the empowerment of all women and girls. Everyone is paid a living wage. We have a maternity leave policy and cultivate an environment where everyone is safe to bring forward their ideas of gender and person equality.
Broader Definition of Equality
We found the definition of gender equality in this SDG to be narrow in scope and want to make it clear that we are an inclusive employer who is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all, providing a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. All employment decisions are based on the job requirements and individual qualifications, without regard to social or ethnic origin, race, colour, religion or belief, nationality, sex (including pregnancy), age, physical, mental or sensory disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, economic status, marital, civil union or domestic partnership status, family medical history or genetic information, family or parental status, past or present military service or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in Canada.
Giving
We give generously to the Victoria Women’s Transition House and raised money for the Victoria Sexual Assault Center so that every woman and girl knows they are valued.
Consultation Loop
We are currently speaking to our employees that identify as women to receive their feedback on their experience with us. This information will be used as the foundation for a matrix for benchmarking our improvements as we travel forward. The journey starts at the beginning – as we scrub our offerings to ensure there is no unintended bias.
A Culture of Care
Acting when there is failure negates the objective of creating a culture of care. At PNWTS we employ proactive, creative and encouraging language that provides the setting for courageous conversations, goal setting and fearless accountability. We want every person on our teams to feel valued and engaged and are having conversations about cultural expectations brought into the workplace. We are mindful of the tapestry of cultures that we employ and are currently exploring this further.
SDG #9 Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
The goal of SDG #9 is to build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation.
With nearly one million guests and 300,000 rides the growth of our business has to be supported by a modern, flexible infrastructure.
The Future
We are strong supporters of shore power so ships can turn off their generators. We believe in the future of a working harbor and collaborate in the research to use biomass from the incoming vessels to produce renewable fuel on site.
Accessibility
We feel that accessibility has many different meanings and have started at the ground level with a change in protocol to ensure all persons with all capabilities are fully engaged and can be so without hardship, being diverted to a separate entrance or divided socially. We changed our gathering place to accommodate everyone.
Innovation
At PNWTS we continue to work with the latest innovations to further our commitment to the environment and to remain carbon neutral. We collaborate with stakeholders to help them see “the possible” with the initiatives that drive us forward.
Our consulting and research teams are resolved to ensure that we are self generating the fuel we need in the future as a first step towards our environmental goals.
SDG #12 Responsible Consumption and Production
The goal of SDG #12 is to ensure responsible consumption and production patterns.
Cutting Consumption
At PNWTS we have cut our consumption of paper by over 61% and reduced our waste to landfill by 44% through recycling. We buy local products and recycle the wash water. The power consumption has dropped by 5% and we have banned the use of plastic water bottles on site.
Dropping Emissions
We are carbon neutral and our double decker buses carry more people for less. Our emissions have dropped by 48% and that is just the beginning. As we continue to convert buses those emissions will drop by 85%. With the incorporation of hydrogen fuel cell conversion and the eventual production of our own fuel from ships waste we will have completed the circular economy in fuel production and delivery and will achieve close to zero emissions.
B Corp
PNWTS is the first ground transportation company in North America to achieve B Corp certification for our social and environmental actions.
SDG #13 Climate Action
The goal of SDG #13 is to take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.
At PNWTS we believe in taking action and as members of the BC Green Business Collective, our standards are measured and audited.
Reduction of Waste and Energy Usage
Starting in our kitchen where the waste is measured and composted right through to the overall usage of product, we have cut our waste to landfill by 44% through recycling and have banned the use of plastic bottles on site. We recycle the wash water, use only environmentally conscious cleaning products, use 61% less paper and have turned the heat down to drop power consumption by 5%.
Fewer Emissions
Our conversion of buses to minimum 2010 EPA compliance and the installation of double decker buses has cut our emissions by 48% and upon completion will reduce emissions by 85%.
In the future we are committed to investigating the use of ship waste to produce renewable fuel on site and the potential in hydrogen fuel cell technology.
B Corp
PNWTS is the first ground transportation company in North America to achieve B Corp certification. Certified B Corporations meet the highest global standard of verified social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability.
In the Community
We believe in acting now – and in taking our team with us on the journey by providing education so they may go out into their community with climate and environmental consciousness. We provide free transportation to the Impact Conference and in off season to the James Bay School.