Annual Report 2020

16 Transport International Holdings Limited 2020 Annual Report Managing Director’s Message I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to shareholders, passengers, and Hong Kong people for their long- lasting support. Forging Ahead in Adversity An unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic has led to a long-term halt in the global economy, society, and humanities activities. Profound and far-reaching changes have been brought to the entire world, and Hong Kong is no exception. TIH, the “Heartbeat of the City”, has encountered major challenges in business. In the face of a continuous reduction in public activities and an unforeseeable future regarding the recovery of travel demand, the business of KMB and LWB was hard hit. The overall ridership of KMB and LWB dropped 24% and 38% respectively in 2020. The decline in travel, as expected by the market, has become a “new normal” and the ridership will remain low over a period of time. With an unrelenting effort, however, the Group’s management continued to adopt measures for saving resources and explore new room for development in the face of adversity, including the introduction of recreational routes to ensure the stability of our operations. In the future, we will strengthen the interaction between passengers and staff, learn the needs of the market, and embrace the post-COVID-19 era. By observation during the pandemic period, passengers have attached greater importance to the cleanness and hygiene of public transport. The cleanness of the compartment has a direct influence on passengers’ confidence in choosing transport mode. We believe that passengers’ higher expectations of hygiene standards in public transport will continue to grow in the post- COVID-19 era. Therefore, as early as last March when the pandemic was at an early stage, KMB adopted a series of measures to enhance the cleanliness of bus compartments and added windows for ventilation on buses. These measures will continue and be enhanced in a timely manner. In view of the requirements regarding the wider standing space of buses, we have also purchased 34 new buses in addition to our recurring bus purchase plan to provide a more comfortable riding space for passengers. These buses are on order for delivery during the second half of 2021. Also, the travelling pattern of passengers has changed. It is anticipated that the global pandemic situation will remain volatile. While people are reluctant to travel, we foresee a potential demand for domestic consumption and local tourism from residents staying in the city. Patronage of some routes to the countryside has performed well. The Group will keep a close eye on these new demands from local passengers. To meet their needs, we will continue to approach relevant governmental departments for route exploration and adjustment.