Annual Report 2021

14 Transport International Holdings Limited 2021 Annual Report CHAIRMAN’S LETTER The bus captain driving feedback system “GreenRoad” has effectively strengthened bus captains’ safe driving techniques. Over 80% of bus captains received excellent results in “GreenRoad Outstanding Award on Safety and Eco- driving Performance”. The KMB Safety Bus with the theme “Stop, Look, Listen and Give Way” made its way to serve at a school campus, for the first time this year, to do its part to enhance road safety awareness by helping our future pillars of society to develop good bus riding and road using habits. Building a Caring Community and Fostering Social Inclusion The COVID-19 epidemic situation has remained volatile. As one of the major enterprises in Hong Kong, TIH has undertaken its social responsibility by making good use of resources and actively working together with people from all walks of life to overcome difficulties presented by the pandemic. In 2021, KMB offered free bus rides to eligible seniors, allowing them to travel for free on Cross-harbour Routes operated by KMB and all Recreational “R” Routes on weekends, so as to encourage them to go out and relax. Furthermore, KMB has strengthened a series of elderly care initiatives. Other than donating bus stop poles to care homes and setting up a hotline to help look for missing seniors, KMB also produced videos that contain health care information for the aged. These videos are shown on the Information Panels on buses and at bus stops as part of our effort to build an age-friendly society. The Group cares about the underprivileged and actively promotes an inclusive society. Under the business-school collaboration with Hong Chi Association, Café1933, a staff café, provided internship opportunities in catering and retail for students with special educational needs. After this successful experience, students were invited to show their talents by producing animated shorts on bus etiquette and creating art installations at Tuen Mun Road Interchange. Through video and web technologies, KMB’s volunteer club FRIENDS OF KMB (“FRN”) connected with the elderly and the needy who were impacted by reduced social contact due to the pandemic. When the epidemic situation slightly eased last year, the FRN also participated in various social services, such as taking the initiative to explain to the non- Chinese population how to take buses easily and supporting recycling programmes, which earned positive feedback from all sectors of the community. 2021 has been a fruitful year for Hong Kong sports. As a commendation for the can-do spirit of Hong Kong’s elite athletes and their outstanding achievements at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Company offered “Bus Naming Rights” and one-year free rides to all athlete representatives of the Hong Kong Delegation. Taking on Challenges with Innovation Despite the challenging business environment, the Group will make unremitting efforts to provide high-quality travelling experience for passengers. KMB launched numerous fare concession schemes, including Hong Kong’s second “Regional Short-haul Two-way Section Fare Scheme” in Tseung Kwan O, and LWB’s Bus-Bus Interchange Discount Scheme which was extended to cover South Lantau Island for the first time. LWB also commenced the second phase of bus route diversion arrangements in Yuen Long and Tin Shui Wai, bringing to passengers a more favourable and convenient bus service. KMB adjusted its fares on 4 April 2021, with an average increase of 5.8% and 8.5% on about 350 solely-operated routes and 51 jointly-operated routes respectively. Bus fares on all jointly-operated cross-harbour routes were adjusted again on 2 January 2022 with a rise of 3.2%. As an act to give back to passengers, the price of the KMB Monthly Pass has remained unchanged but with more exclusive privileges provided, including free micro-insurance and an upgraded bus service on any LWB “A” Routes or KMB New Long-haul Bus Routes by paying a “Fare for Upgraded Journey”. KMB also launched an all-new membership scheme, club1933, under which passengers can register on App1933 and travel by bus to earn points for a variety of exclusive rewards. In full support of the development of a Smart City, KMB and LWB have installed an e-payment system on their bus fleets comprising over 4,000 buses, so that passengers can pay fares using cashless methods. KMB has also introduced “5G Buses” on which passengers can use ultra-fast 5G Wi-Fi services for free for a more enjoyable travel experience.