Annual Report 2024

16 2024 Annual Report Transport International Holdings Limited CHAIRMAN’S LETTER Promoting Sustainable Development for the Future While propelling business development, companies must also be accountable to society, employees, and shareholders. An enterprise can ensure its sustainable development only by implementing good governance practices. The Group’s Environmental, Social and Governance (“ESG”) Task Force has set six five-year environmental performance targets for the financial years from 2024 to 2028. Meanwhile, we are monitoring internal operations to ensure compliance, keeping all targets on track and performance in line with expectations. The Board of Directors is committed to their responsibility to sustainability. It has mandated each department to strictly adhere to sustainable development strategies and measures to reduce the carbon footprint and fuel consumption of our operations, thereby advancing carbon neutrality on all fronts. In terms of green financing, LWB signed a three-year sustainability development performance-linked loan facility totalling HK$200 million with Bank of China (Hong Kong). Under the facility, LWB set a number of key environmental performance targets for sustainable development in ESG-related areas, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions of buses, and increasing green procurement and the average training hours for employees. These initiatives support the Group’s efforts to further minimise the environmental impact of its operations. Caring for the Community and Promoting Inclusion and Accessibility We care about the community. Through ongoing engagement with different stakeholders to understand their needs, we endeavour to enhance their travel experience and strengthen community relations by leveraging the Group’s expertise and strengths. Recognising the difficulties faced by visually impaired individuals in locating bus stops, we have chosen to enhance convenience for them by improving access to bus stops in Sham Shui Po. In collaboration with social welfare organisations experienced in serving the visually impaired in Sham Shui Po, 15 bus stops in the area were upgraded to “Audio Bus Stops”with audible devices installed. At these bus stops, route announcements are made to help the visually impaired locate bus stops more accurately and with greater peace of mind when travelling. KMB buses are equipped with various barrier-free facilities, such as double wheelchair seats, continuous handrails and priority seats. KMB recognises that it can be a lengthy process for stroke patients to recover. To help them practise travelling on buses, KMB arranged for electric double-deck buses with double wheelchair seats to participate in the training. Patients can practise boarding procedures and skills, moving to their seats and sitting down, while familiarising themselves with the barrier-free facilities on the bus. The Group has been taking practical actions to build a caring and inclusive society. Last year, through the Caring Bus Handrails Donation Programme, KMB donated handrails from retired buses, along with free on-site installation services, to economically disadvantaged elderly people in need, improving home safety by reducing the risk of falls and injuries. KMB donated “Caring Bus Stop Poles” to residential care homes. With specially designed route information sheets, we created a realistic bus waiting environment for elderly individuals with cognitive impairment, helping to reduce their risk of wandering off. The treatment teams at the residential care homes can also use the bus stop poles to provide relevant treatment to the elderly. Since 2019, KMB has launched the “Finding Missing Elderly” Programme, enabling families to seek assistance from KMB by tracking the Octopus numbers of missing elderly people. In 2024, the programme played an active role in safeguarding the elderly, successfully locating 28 missing seniors. Establishing Safety Standards through Technology and Nurturing Talents for the Industry Bus safety has always been the Group’s top priority. KMB’s Preventive Maintenance System, which utilises technology to remotely monitor buses and key components, gives full play to the concept of “prevention is better than cure”. It enables early targeted repair and maintenance, enhancing work efficiency. We also place great importance on the safe driving of our bus captains. KMB has been taking measures to enhance our bus captains’ driving skills and performance by introducing the “GST Safe & Eco Driving System”. The system provides real-time driving feedback to bus captains, helping them develop good driving habits and skills. During the year, more than 90% of our bus captains obtained the highest level of satisfactory driving. On the training front, the KMB Academy launched new courses, namely the “Electric Vehicle Maintenance Safety Awareness Training Programme” (“EVE”) and the “Electric Vehicle Maintenance Low Voltage Training Programme” (“EVL”). Certified by the Vehicle Maintenance Technical Advisory Committee of the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department, the two courses equip KMB’s maintenance staff with knowledge of electric vehicle maintenance. They are also open to other professionals from the industry, thus increasing the number of qualified maintenance personnel for the local electric vehicle maintenance sector, with a view to joining hands with the industry to drive green transformation. Expanding New Networks and Connecting People’s Lives The Group identifies and seizes development opportunities, seeking to provide bus services to the public in new development areas. During the year, we were pleased to be granted four new