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<\/p>\nTimberbush Tours is an award-winning Scottish coach tour operator, departing from Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Inverness daily. They are conscious of the importance of preserving and maintaining Scotland\u2019s natural beauty and how, as a business, they operate within our natural environment.\u00a0Timberbush Tours joined the ECO Stars scheme in 2017. They achieved the maximum rating of 5 stars at their first assessment and have retained that rating by acting on the recommendations of the ECO Stars fleet expert.<\/p>\n
The process –\u00a0<\/b>Timberbush Tours supplied a full fleet listing to the ECO Stars field consultant. The consultant followed up with an on-site visit to discuss fleet and fuel management practices and to complete the application form. Each individual vehicle was assessed along with the overall fleet management operation \u2013 the result was a 5-star rating. This was an excellent achievement and reflected their proactive approach to achieving operational efficiency. As part of the ECO Stars process, once the assessment has been completed, a \u2018Road Map\u2019 is produced, highlighting key actions that could be considered.<\/p>\n
Reassessment and future plans –\u00a0<\/b>The ECO Stars reassessment in 2022 confirmed Timberbush Tours continued 5-star status.\u00a0Since joining the ECO Stars scheme in 2017, their fleet has grown from 20 vehicles to 32, and in 2023 they will be disposing of older vehicles and investing in seven new coaches worth more than \u00a31m.<\/p>\n
Since their last \u2018Road Map\u2019, they have invested in establishing their own workshop facilities. This has eradicated thousands of dead miles annually and carbon emissions from transferring coaches back and forth to 3rd party maintenance providers. Additionally, they now also take in 3rd party commercial maintenance, further reducing the environmental impact on local businesses.\u00a0They have invested in Rainwater Harvesting to provide water for vehicle cleaning. In addition, they have swapped out their mobile truck wash from diesel-powered to a new rechargeable electric one. This also helps with noise reduction in the yard for their neighbours.\u00a0They have also switched to the use of network fuel cards to provide better visibility of transactions and mpg. Also, given the 40+% hike in fuel pricing over the last six months, this also enables a stable network price.<\/p>\n
Steve Spalding, Timberbush Tours\u2019 Operations Manager, was delighted to find that their 5-star rating had been retained. They will continue to seek out improvements and investments toward greater operational efficiency.<\/p>\n
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