CDC Recognised for Environmental and Digital Innovation at Queensland Bus Industry Awards

Winner 2021 Environmental / Innovation Award – QBIC Industry Awards

Photographs From The Queensland Buss Industry Council 2021 Conference On The Gold Coast
QBIC Industry Awards 2021: Sal Petroccitto, CEO, National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) (left) presents the Environmental/Innovation Award to CDC’s Tony Hopkins, CEO Regional Australia Division. Photo by Rob Parsons @ttlgstudio

CDC Queensland, a leading local bus operator, has been recognised for its actions on reducing impacts on the environment, ensuring road, passenger, and workplace safety. 

The company, a subsidiary of ComfortDelGro Corporation Australia (CDC), was awarded the Environmental/Innovation Award at the 2021 Queensland Bus Industry Council Awards held in April.

ComfortDelGro Corporation Australia (CDC), Regional Australia Division Chief Executive Officer Anthony (Tony) Hopkins was also honoured on Saturday night, for his 40-year involvement in, and contribution to, the industry with the 2021 Outstanding Contribution Award. 

Mr Hopkins said CDC Queensland was committed to establishing long term strategies that minimised the environmental impact of its operations and promoting sustainable transportation outcomes. 

“Digitisation initiatives undertaken in the past two years have completely revolutionised our business. The pilot program is now inspiring other parts of the company to reconsider their own operations, leaning on the expertise of our local team,” he said.  

New tools like The Interchange and Formstack were introduced to employees, creating an instant news and communications channel with an App that allowed real-time access to safety or incidents updates, breaking news, and access to policy and procedures.

“The automated dissemination of information across the group has empowered staff to act swiftly and efficiently in their day-to-day roles, saving significant man-hours and minimising wait times or delays,” Mr Hopkins said. 

Since moving to the digital systems, all previous manual paper forms have been replaced by online forms, which helped to streamline processes and create efficiencies.

Employees have benefited from the new business process platform developed using monday.com, which tracks and automates workflows online, and the e-Hub employee online learning portal. 

Mr Hopkins’ rise through the Australian bus industry ranks was a classic “mail room to CEO” story and he was nominated for the Outstanding Contribution Award by his staff, who believed his “natural approach to mentoring and driving people towards finding their best” made him a deserving recipient.

QBIC Executive Director David Tape said the awards were designed to promote standards of excellence, recognising significant achievements within the bus industry in Queensland. 

“CDC Queensland has raised the bar with its digitisation initiatives. The actions taken to minimise impacts on the environment, promoting sustainable practices, including real time communications with its team in the field, should be commended,” he said.  

Bus Industry Council Chairman, Wayne Patch said Mr Hopkins was a bus industry veteran with “unparalleled experience in the Australian market” and his “exposure to the particular nuances of every sector of the industry under a wide variety of corporate structures provides him with a wealth of experience”.

The QBIC 2021 awards were presented at the QBIC Conference Dinner at the Gold Coast on Saturday, April 10, 2021. QBIC is the peak representative Industry body for the bus and coach industry in Queensland, and as such is the “voice” of private bus and coach operators in Queensland. Seven awards were given out – the Achiever of the Year Award, the Supplier of the Year Award, the Environmental/Innovation Award, the Outstanding Contribution Award, the Apprentice of the Year Award, the Employer of the Year Award, and the Manmeet Sharma Perpetual Professional Driver Award.