New hybrid Villavesas

At an event held on 9 July at the Transporte Urbano Comarcal bus depot, the Association of Municipalities of the Region of Pamplona presented the 10 new hybrid buses that will join the company’s bus fleet from today. The event was attended by the Transport Director of the Association of Municipalities of the Region of Pamplona, Jesús Velasco, and the Managing Director of the Moventia Group, Josep María Martí.

The 10 new vehicles are ‘Lions’s City 19C EfficientHybrid’ articulated MAN vehicles measuring 18 metres in length. They are powered by 265 kW hybrid diesel-electric motors. Each vehicle can carry a total of 141 passengers (38 seated), plus two wheelchairs.

The new buses comply with the EURO VI pollution limits set by the European Union. They are all fitted with safety screens (all TUC buses have been fitted with screens to protect drivers during the pandemic) and security video cameras, meaning that almost the entire fleet has this system. Furthermore, the ten Villavesas are fitted with the Mobileye active safety system that uses five cameras on each vehicle to warn the driver of any imminent collision risks. Finally, it should be pointed out that the new vehicles have a wheelchair access ramp approved by CERMIN (the Committee of Entities Representing Persons with Disability of Navarre) since an improved, more stable and functional model was launched in March and added to new vehicles joining the fleet in 2020.

The purchase of these vehicles was awarded in 2020 and they are ready to enter service now that the registration paperwork has been completed. Each vehicle has cost 402,850.00 euros (excl. VAT).

Jesús Velasco said that “the arrival of these ten new buses has injected new material into the fleet, increased safety and advanced the sustainability of our service. All this will have a positive impact on both the people who use the transport service and the driver staff who will work on the new vehicles”.

In turn, Josep María Martí spoke about the exceptional situation in which the TUC has found itself since 14 March last year, recognising the efforts made by all employees to continue providing the service. He also wished to remind everyone that the TUC is a safe means of transport to which hygiene and control protocols have been applied.

LATEST HYBRID DIESEL-ELECTRIC VEHICLES
The buses revealed today are the latest hybrid diesel-electric vehicles to join the Transporte Urbano Comarcal fleet following approval at the MCP Assembly on 30 June for the 2nd Less Polluting Energies Plan of the TUC aimed at the progressive replacement of polluting buses. As a result, the MCP will steadily abandon the use of diesel in the Urban Transport fleet and will seek to add buses powered by compressed natural gas (CNG) with a Guarantee of Renewable Origin (GdO).

The final goal is for the association of municipalities to start providing carbon-neutral services in 2030. The main action in this regard is a circular economy project under which the biogas produced from the treatment of waste water and organic material in rubbish will be used as fuel for the heavy vehicle fleets operated by the association of municipalities: the TUC buses, the rubbish trucks and the Integrated Water Cycle maintenance vehicles.

A FLEET OF 159 VEHICLES WITH AN AVERAGE AGE OF 6.76 YEARS
The addition of these 10 new vehicles and the removal of the eight oldest vehicles means that the TUC fleet will consist of 159 vehicles (two more than a year ago) with an average vehicle age of 6.76 years. Of all the vehicles in the fleet, 61 are articulated (18 metres), 96 are 12-metre buses and two are 10-metre buses. It should be noted that the addition of these new vehicles means that Transporte Urbano Comarcal now has 66 hybrid and six electric vehicles. In other words, 45% of the fleet consists of environmentally efficient vehicles.

Moventia, another year with the Palace of Catalan Music

Moventia is renewing its partnership with the Palace of Catalan Music for another year as a Protector Patron in order to help promote the artistic schedule organised by the Orfeó Català-Palace of Catalan Music Foundation.

A benchmark in sustainable mobility, the company stands firmly by its commitment to promoting culture as it believes this to be a key sector for rebuilding the local economic fabric and creating jobs. This action forms part of Moventia’s Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility Plan, which was created as a way for the company to voluntarily help build a better society.

According to Sílvia Martí, Vice-President of Corporate Affairs, Internal and Institutional Communication of Moventia: “Culture is a driving force for investment and enhances our reputation as a country but, unfortunately, it has been hit hard by the fallout from the pandemic. These are all reasons why Moventia remains committed for another year to this organisation, which uses its activities, concerts and choirs to promote musical practice and training, and, in short, to bring knowledge of Catalan heritage and culture closer to a wider audience, a reflection of our society”.

In the words of Mariona Carulla, Chairwoman of the Orfeó Català-Palace of Catalan Music Foundation: “We are very pleased to continue receiving the support of Moventia in our patronage programme. Contributions like those made by this company are essential to promoting our artistic activity and continuing our mission to bring music to all”.

The safety of Moventis, once again guaranteed by Applus+

Moventis has been assessed by Applus+ in terms of health and safety for another year. The company earned the new Applus+ Hygiene and Control Protocols certification applicable to the transport and tourist services sector in compliance with its action protocols against risks stemming from COVID-19.

This certification guarantees the health and safety measures implemented by Moventis and recognises its strict compliance in various areas, such as the physical environment with basic and hygiene measures as well as technical measures, and the working environment with organisational measures that include checks on personnel at every company forming part of Moventis.

Applus+ analyses the protocols in place at organisations and companies, and verifies their suitability in terms of current regulations, as well as the actions required based on the situation. Once these protocols have been validated, the client’s premises are audited on site to analyse the effective implementation of the requirements established by the protocols. 

This procedure reaffirms the mission undertaken by Moventis as a business group that is committed to people, society, the environment and the quality of all its services.

Diversity Charter

19 Moventia companies have now signed the Diversity Charter, an initiative promoted by the Diversity Foundation in Spain with support from the European Commission, the Spanish Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality, the Department of Enterprise and Occupation of the Regional Government of Catalonia and the employers’ associations CEOE, Fomento del Trabajo and PIMEC.

Specifically, four Moventis companies have renewed their membership of this initiative (Marfina Bus, Marfina S.L., Sarfa and TCC SA), which have now been joined by Autobusos de Lleida, Autocares Calella, Auto Pla Vic 4×4, Avenix, Casas, Comercial Martí, Ízaro, La Vallesana, Marfina Serveis, Motorprim, Moventis Illes, Sarsa Vallés, Stern Motor and TCC2 SL.

The companies from the Moventia group were the first in the mobility sector to join this commitment and have been renewing their support since 2012.

The Diversity Charter represents a commitment to promoting the main principles of equality, respect for everybody’s right to inclusion regardless of profile and recognition of the benefits to be gained from cultural, demographic and social diversity within the organisation. It also supports the implementation of policies to foster a prejudice-free working environment and non-discrimination programmes for disadvantaged groups.

As part of their commitment to promoting equality and inclusion in the workplace, the companies of the Moventia group that have voluntarily signed the Diversity Charter respect the rules governing equal opportunities and anti-discrimination, and assume the basic principles of awareness, inclusion, building a diverse workforce and work-life balance.

Jordi Castells on TV Sant Cugat

Jordi Castells, Operations Director at Moventis and General Manager at Sarbus, was invited to appear on the La Contraportada programme on TV Sant Cugat to explain how Moventis operates and what it does exactly, specifically in Sant Cugat. During the programme, Jordi Castells also spoke about the challenges faced by public transport in the immediate future. 

 

 

 

 

Moventia maintains its support for FERO

In 2021, Spain stands among the top three participants in the IRONMAN Study, the largest global registry of advanced prostate cancer patient samples, highlighting the commitment from Spanish society to this research. In fact, Spain has tripled its involvement from 80 to 237 patients within a period of 12 months. This figure once again demonstrates the solidarity of Spanish patients with this long-term project that will help us better understand the disease and develop new therapeutic options for the future.

Guillermo Mora, a 71-year-old patient who was diagnosed with prostate cancer six years ago and who has been in the metastasis stage for three years, wanted to share with Spanish society what it means to take part in a project like IRONMAN: “The responsibility to end this disease not only lies with doctors and researchers. As patients, we must be able to help and I feel that if my time, my experience and my samples can help us find a cure one day – hopefully sooner rather than later – then that is the least I can do. We are essential to the medical research and we have to be proactive if we want to achieve what so many of us so anxiously desire”.

This spirit of involvement and commitment to cancer research is the driving force pushing Moventia – a benchmark company in sustainable mobility – to maintain its commitment to this project through the FERO Foundation year after year as one of the main donors making it possible for Spain to be on the global IRONMAN map.

In the words of Silvia Martí, VP of Corporate, Internal and Institutional Communication at Moventia: “we have been supporting FERO on various projects for more than six years because we believe that we must all feel involved if we want to make real progress in cancer research: patients, relatives, researchers, doctors, civil society, companies, etc. Every one of us does our bit. For that reason, we are more convinced than ever that our effort to support IRONMAN year after year will be able to help people like Mr. Mora to improve their quality of life and find solutions that now seem unimaginable”.

Moventia’s support for this initiative forms part of the actions planned under its Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility Plan as a voluntary expression by the company to help build a better society.

More visibility and research

The spirit, strength and determination of Mr. Mora seem inherent to the hundreds of Spanish patients who have joined this project in one year. However, he calls for more visibility and commitment to a disease with which 1 out of 8 men will be diagnosed during their lifetime[1]. “Prostate cancer is as equally prevalent as breast cancer but has a much lower profile in the media and therefore lacks the same level of support… We must make people more aware, ensure they have themselves checked, know the warning signs, etc. because with cancer, more than ever, time is golden”.

“I am always surprised by how open our patients are to taking part in projects like IRONMAN, how motivated they are to form part of projects that can help us better understand the disease. We are tremendously grateful to them and we try to respond by learning as much as we can about the disease from the data and the samples that they provide us with so altruistically”, explains Dr. Joaquín Mateo, Head of the Translational Prostate Cancer Research Group at the Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO), the oncologist for Mr. Mora and one of the coordinators of the study here in Spain.

The project

The IRONMAN project is based on three main lines of action: a systemic collection of clinical data from patients with advanced prostate cancer (treatments, evolution, response to them); to this register are added data on the personal life of the patients (how they live with the disease, how the treatment affects their daily life); and, finally, a bank of participating patient samples is created in order to conduct translational research with them. The goal is to become a major international platform for clinical and molecular data from patients in 16 different countries in order to help better understand the disease and to fight it more effectively in the future.

“IRONMAN is special because, besides what we learn from the project itself, which we hope will be a great deal, it helps us build a network between researchers and hospitals in our country, which I’m sure will facilitate many other projects and lead to progress in this field in the future”, explains Dr. David Olmos, Head of the Clinical Research on Prostate Cancer Unit at the National Centre for Oncology Research (CNIO) and Spanish coordinator of the study alongside Mateo.

Eleven benchmark Spanish centres are already taking part in this research network, which connects oncologists in Catalonia, Madrid, Valencia, Andalusia and Asturias. Furthermore, the project in Spain is also backed by the FERO Foundation and the Movember Foundation, two non-profit organisations engaged in promoting cancer research.

Moventis supports the Pilarín Bayés Awards

Once again, Moventia (through Autocares Calella) supported the XVIII Pilarín Bayés Awards by providing the transportation for primary school children from various schools across Catalonia taking part in the event. The award ceremony took place at the Catalan National Art Museum on 1 June.

The prizes are presented in recognition of stories written by primary school children. The awards seek to encourage reading and to bring books closer to children, stimulate their imagination and make them reflect and work on issues based on values. They are organised by Editorial Mediterrània in partnership with Obra Social San Juan de Dios. Lockdown was the chosen theme for the competition this year. An experience shared by all children but approached very differently in every home.

 

Many congratulations to all the winners!

 

 

 

 

“Recharging infrastructure must be expanded to promote sustainable mobility”

Josep Maria Martí, CEO of Moventia and Vice-President of Moventis, took part in the 35 IESE Mobility, an annual meeting organised by the IESE Business School and Deloitte. During the course of the event, various executives in the sector highlighted how the automotive industry is getting ready for a decade that – especially in cities – is characterised by a new, increasingly more electric kind of mobility with a greater emphasis on the use of car sharing aimed at combining more different means of transportation.

Among others, this future was discussed at the event by the Chief Digital Officer of ALSA, Carlos Acha; the CEO of RACC, Xavier Pérez; the Director of Mobility of Ferrovial (MC:FER), Andrés Camacho; the Chief Strategy & Development Officer of Renfe, Manel Villalante; the CEO of EYSA, Javier Delgado; the CEO Rolling Stock of CAF (MC:CAF) and Chairman of Solaris (OTC:SPCL), Josu Imaz; and the Quality, Engineering and Strategic Programmes Director Iberia of DHL Express Spain, Rafael Pérez del Monte.

While speaking, Josep Maria Martí insisted that “recharging infrastructure must be expanded in Spain to promote this type of vehicle”, which in Barcelona remains rather lacklustre. “We should have 100,000 recharging points, not 200”, he said at the meeting. Furthermore, Josep Maria Martí stressed that this commitment should involve public-private collaboration to ensure mobility that is “more sustainable and efficient”.

All the executives taking part in the meeting also underlined the importance of harnessing the Next Generation funds to achieve greater, more rational, green, electric and social mobility. Similarly, they agreed that digitalisation alongside new technologies like ‘big data’ will change the existing mobility model in Spain, making it more sustainable, efficient and shared, through such ideas as integrated mobility.

 

 

Autocars Calella, official mobility partner of the Catalan Hockey Federation

Autocars Calella has signed a partnership agreement with the Catalan Hockey Federation under which the mobility company has become the official partner of this sports federation, offering its coach service to all the hockey clubs in Catalonia throughout the season.

At the signing ceremony, which took place recently in Sant Cugat del Vallés with the Chairman of the Catalan Hockey Federation, Xavier Adell Salvatella, and the Managing Director of Moventis, Miquel Martí Pierre, the two executives highlighted their commitment and drive to encouraging the practice of sport in these exceptional times.

The agreement reaffirms the position achieved by the Moventis Group as a benchmark in group mobility given its proven reliability in meeting all safety, hygiene and control protocols. This federation now joins all the other sports entities that also trust in the services provided by mobility companies of this group, which include Girona FC, CE Sabadell FC, the Catalan Swimming Federation, Junior FC and the handball teams of OAR Gracia, Balonmano Santo Quirze, Balonmano Bordils and San Martín Adrianenc, among many others.

According to Xavier Adell Salvatella, Chairman of the Catalan Hockey Federation, “we are very happy to partner with Autocares Calella and offer its transport services to our member clubs, safe in the knowledge that their athletes will travel in complete safety”. To this, the Manager of Autocares Calella, Miquel Martí Pierre, added that “we would like to express our gratitude for the trust placed in us by such an important sports entity as the Catalan Hockey Federation. The commitment by the companies in the Moventis Group to meeting safety, hygiene and control protocols is an absolute priority, and the agreements we have so far reached with sports entities and organisations in other sectors drive us to continue working every day to maintain our position as the benchmark mobility company in the public transport sector”.

Moventis SARFA receives recognition for its social responsibility actions during the pandemic

Begur Town Council and El Baix Empordà Regional Council have officially recognised Moventis SARFA for its social responsibility initiatives during the pandemic. The actions most deserving of this high praise are: its promotion of quality employment in the region, its collaboration with local employment services, its launch of initiatives aimed at employment inclusion for people with functional diversity and its donation to Palamós Hospital.

Enric Gimeno, General Manager of Moventis SARFA, collected the award in recognition of the various social responsibility actions undertaken by the company during the pandemic.

The Mayor of Begur, Maite Selva, presented the award to Moventis SARFA and highlighted the importance of such companies that are based on hard work, innovation and commitment in tough times for society like the COVID-19 pandemic. “Commitment shown by companies like Moventis SARFA, which continue to bring added value to all during such tough and uncertain times and have contributed more than ever to consolidating a social, collaborative, sustainable and responsible economy in our region.”

The Palafrugell Municipal Theatre was chosen as the venue to host the award ceremony organised by the El Baix Empordà Regional Council and the El Baix Empordà Regional Network of Economic Promotion Officers, with support from several local council authorities throughout the region, including Begur Town Council. The event sought to highlight those companies in the region that have shown themselves to be socially responsible during the COVID-19 pandemic through initiatives leading to a positive impact for the general public. 

The awards, which were presented to 17 businesses in the region, were proposed by a technical committee made up by the regional council and various local council authorities in El Baix Empordà.
 

The role of Moventis SARFA during the pandemic

Moventis SARFA is an iconic company in El Empordà, a leader in the transport sector and boasts a history spanning almost 100 years. The organisation has been recognised for its regular collaboration with local employment services through participation in training and accompaniment programmes for the re-employment of the unemployed, the inclusion of people with functional diversity in its workforce and the economic contribution made to Palamós Hospital.
 

Social responsibility as a cross-cutting issue

Social responsibility at Moventis is something that forms a major part of its day-to-day business. According to Enric Gimeno, “we are fully aware of our opportunity to build a more equal society and generate well-being for people. It can therefore be said that the concept of solidarity is another of the underlying pillars that support Moventis, an inherent characteristic of our nature”.

According to its CSR Policy, Moventia is committed to returning to society that which society gives to Moventia, understanding solidarity as a voluntary expression by the company in its contribution towards building a better society, its commitment to continually strive to improve and go beyond simply complying with legal obligations and to continue investing in human resources, the environment and stakeholder relations.

Based on this approach to solidarity, Moventis is highly dedicated to commitment and social responsibility in its environment, working with its partners to build a better society.