Annual Report 2019

013 Transport International Holdings Limited 2019 Annual Report Chairman’s Letter As for Long Win Bus Company Limited (“LWB”), profit after taxation for 2019 was HK$53.7 million, representing an increase of HK$16.9 million compared with HK$36.8 million for 2018. The continuous enhancement of bus services and the additional transport demand associated with the Hong Kong- Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, saw year-on- year passenger growth increase by 10.4% in 2019. In order to enhance their customer service, KMB and LWB continued to make substantial investments in new buses with the latest safety, environmental and design features. In 2019, 217 Euro VI double-deck buses and five Euro V double-deck buses were added to the franchised bus fleet. The Group’s Non-franchised Transport Division, with Sun Bus Limited (“Sun Bus”) as its flagship company, recorded a profit after taxation of HK$39.8 million, representing a decrease in profit after taxation of HK$8.5 million compared with HK$48.3 million for 2018. Sun Bus tapped passenger sources proactively and set up a number of new service points. To meet market needs, Sun Bus introduced double-deck buses into its fleet. Our China Mainland Transport Operations Division, which is comprised of our joint ventures in Shenzhen and Beijing, continued to record positive overall results in 2019. Serving with Care, Keeping Pace with the Times The Group continues to introduce innovations in operations, business promotions and service enhancements. KMB and LWB launched various fare concession schemes, including continuous expansion of the KMB Monthly Pass kiosk network and the new”Purchase Monthly Pass” button on the KMB and LWB mobile app, App1933, so that passengers can enjoy convenient, flexible and value-for-money bus services. Moreover, the KMB Fare Saver Scheme has been well received by teachers, students and passengers. Besides raising the number of Fare Saver kiosks to 17, we have also increased the total amount of fare discount that passengers enjoy. KMB continued to work with different banks on credit card rebate solutions, enabling more passengers to enjoy fare discounts. Providing Safety First Professional Training The Group has always put safety as its top priority. Although the Special Committee led by me has successfully completed its mission, the Group will continue to implement the suggestions made by the committee. Through bus captain recruitment, training, performance management and salary remuneration packages, the Group continues to enhance safety in services. All newly purchased Euro VI buses are equipped with the Electronic Stability Programme, a speed limiting retarder and seat belts on both decks. The Drowsiness Monitoring System and the Advanced Driver Assistance System have recently been introduced to the fleet. With the adoption of these advance technologies, driving safety has been further improved. To further enhance the working environment of driving instructors and nurture more quality bus captains, the Bus Captain Training School has been refurbished. The school has a training fleet of 50 buses, mirroring the models used in the fleet. Trainees are able to receive training and learn