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New World First Bus Services Limited abbreviated as First Bus and "NWFB", was established in 1998, taking over China Motor Bus"s franchise on 1 September 1998 to provide bus services on Hong Kong Island together with Citybus. It is the third largest public bus operator in Hong Kong. New World First Bus mainly serves Hong Kong Island, South Tseung Kwan O and the newly developed areas in west Kowloon. It also provides cross-harbour routes linking Hong Kong Island and Kowloon or the New Territories. The company currently possesses just below 700 buses and operates just below 100 franchised routes. It has a patronage figure of 180 million every year. Since 18 August 2002, the entire bus fleet is air-conditioned (with the exception of one open-top bus). All buses are equipped with the Octopus smart card payment system. Near 80% of the buses are Super Low Floor. History Establishment NWFB"s Neoplan Centroliner with the standard wavy livery. Before NWFB started its operation, the franchised bus service in Hong Kong Island was provided by 2 companies, China Motor Bus (CMB) (franchisee since 1933) and Citybus (franchisee since 1991). In the early 1990s, the service of the CMB was in a steady decline. Therefore, the Government started to introduce new competitors by transferring the franchise of CMB routes to other companies. As a result, Citybus became the 2nd franchisee of the bus service on Hong Kong Island. Over 40 routes were transferred between 1991 and 1995. NWFB"s officially last double-deck non air-conditioned bus DM28 (except the open-top bus DM6), retired from NWFB"s bus fleet in August 2002 after 14 years" service. In spite of the loss of many profitable routes, the service of China Motor Bus did not show any significant improvement. On the contrary, CMB began to focus on its profitable real estate business. At the same time, negotiations between CMB and the Government on service improvements failed. Finally, on 17 February, 1998, the Government withdrew the franchise of all 140 routes operated by China Motor Bus, with effect from 1 September 1998. 88 of the 140 routes were placed on open tender, 12 routes were transferred directly to Citybus, 1 cross-harbour route to Kowloon Motor Bus, and the remaining routes were cancelled. Back then, a joint venture called New World First Holdings, was established to bid on the tender. The company was owned by the First Group of UK with a 26% stake, and NWS Holdings Limited (SEHK: 0659, a subsidiary of New World Development) with 74% stake. In total 6 companies placed bids for the tender, those included: * New World First Holdings (SEHK: 0659) * Kowloon Motor Bus Holdings (Present Transport International Holdings) (SEHK: 0062) * Hongkong United Bus Limited o Citybus Group (35%) o Cheung Kong Infrastructure Holdings (SEHK: 1038) (35%) o China Travel International Investment Hong Kong (SEHK: 0308) (25%) o CNT Group (SEHK: 0701) (5%) * Affluent Dragon Island Limited o China Motor Bus (50%) o Stagecoach Group (50%) * Hong Kong Public Bus Co. Ltd. o Dah Chong Hong (SEHK: 0267)(70%) o Kwoon Chung Bus Holdings (SEHK: 0306) (30%) * Argos Bus o Argos Enterprise (Holdings) (SEHK: 8022) (50%) o HKR International (50%) New World First Holdings was considered a dark horse as it was the only bidder with no local bus operation experience. However, New World First Holdings eventually won the franchise on 31 March 1998 with promises of new facilities, improved service standards and employment of CMB staff. Handover from China Motor Bus A second-handed Leyland Olympian at Shau Kei Wan, Hong Kong. During the handover in mid-1998, NWFB faced a lot of difficulties since China Motor Bus was not quite willing to cooperate with New World First Bus. Meanwhile, there was widespread chaos when the old Hong Kong International Airport was moved to Chek Lap Kok on 6 July 1998. This made the Government and the public place serious concerns of the handover on 1 September that year. Eventually NWFB started its operation successfully at midnight 1 September, 1998 after a series of negotiations and help from the Government. The official maiden departure of NWFB took place at 00:15 that night on Route N8, with the first new bus in the fleet (Fleet No. 1001). However, NWFB had already started its operation of other non-overnight routes at midnight as CMB refused to operate after that time. On its first day of operation, around 50 new buses were put into service. The remaining buses put in service are former CMB buses, with the New World First Bus logo stuck over the CMB logos. Bus refurbishment Having purchased large numbers of second-hand buses from China Motor Bus, New World First Bus started an extensive program to refurbish them. The floor, handrails, lighting system and seating layout were all upgraded from CMB-era designs to what they are today. The seating arrangement of buses were slightly modified. A typical refurbished bus accommodates 10 fewer passengers than one before refurbishment. Air pollution problems were also addressed in the refurbishment program. When the buses were first acquired, none of them had catalytic converters installed. Now, they have been installed, reducing emission of polluting exhaust gases and particulates by 50%. Another initiative was to phase out non air-conditioned buses from its fleet. On 17 August 2002, NWFB"s last non air-conditioned bus, the Dennis Condor served its final journey. From then on, all buses in the NWFB fleet are air-conditioned. Entering China"s market In 2004, it expanded its service to Kunming in Yunnan by setting up the joint venture Kunming New World First bus with the Kunming Government. NWFB (China) is the major shareholder, holding 51% of share. Cooperation with Citybus In June 2003, Citybus was acquired by NWS Holdings, the parent company of New World First Bus. As a result, the bus service of Hong Kong Island was once again under control of a single organization. Before the acquisition, many of the two companies" competing routes overlap each other. In order to make better use of company resources, many routes were reshuffled. Redundant routes were cancelled, and Octopus Card bus-bus interchange discounts were introduced between routes of both companies. Bus fleet Double-deck air-conditioned buses (Acquired new) * Dennis Trident Wheelchair.svg o With Alexander ALX500 body + 202 * 12 metres (Originally 211 - fleet number 1001-1190 & 1201-1221, 9 of them - (1201-1209) were sold to Citybus in December 2003) + 24 * 11.3 metres (Originally 30 - fleet number 1401-1430, 6 of them (1416-1421) were sold to KCRC in August 2005) + 15 * 10.6 metres (Originally 62 - fleet number 1601-1662, 47 of them were sold to KCRC between December 2004 and August 2005) o With Duple Metsec DM5000 body + 62 * 12 metres (Fleet number 3001-3062) + 60 * 10.3 metres (Low-height, fleet number 3301-3360) + 1 * 10.6 metres (Fleet number 3601) * Volvo Super Olympian (Alexander ALX500 body) Wheelchair.svg o 103 * 12 metres (Fleet number 5001-5103) Dennis Dart SLF with Plaxton Pointer 2 body. Single-deck air-conditioned Buses (Acquired new) * Dennis Dart SLF (Plaxton Pointer 2 body) Wheelchair.svg o 12 * 10.7 metres (Originally 42 - fleet number 2001-2042, 20 of them were sold to UK in 2001, 10 of them were sold to Kowloon Motor Bus in 2003) o 24 * 10.1 metres (Originally 34 - fleet number 2061-2094, 2066-2075 were sold to UK between 1999 and 2000) Double-deck air-conditioned buses (Second-hand) Two second-handed air-conditioned Volvo Olympian 11-metre buses from CMB. The right one had been repainted with the livery of NWFB, while the left one was still in the CMB livery. * Bought from China Motor Bus (CMB) o 76 * 11 metres Dennis Condor with Duple Metsec body (Originally 92 - fleet number DA1-DA92, 16 of them were sold to Dubai/UK/South East Asia between 2004 and 2006) o 62 * 11 metres Volvo Olympian with Alexander R-type body (Fleet number VA1-VA61, VA63) o 25 * 11 metres Leyland Olympian with Alexander R-type body (Fleet number LA1-LA25) * Bought from Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals Limited (HACTL) o 4 * 12 metres Dennis Dragon with Duple Metsec body (Fleet number DA93-DA96) o 2 * 12 metres Volvo Olympian with Northern Counties Palatine body (Fleet number VA65-VA66) Double-deck open-top buses (Second-hand) * Bought from China Motor Bus o 1 * 11 metres Dennis Condor with Duple Metsec body (Fleet number: DM6) Bus routes When the Government decided to terminate China Motor Bus" franchise on its bus routes, New World First Bus acquired 88 routes. Other routes were handed over to Citybus and Kowloon Motor Bus. New World First Bus now also operates bus routes in the New Kowloon Development Area and Tseung Kwan O. On the bus stop signs, different types of routes are distinguished by different colors. See List of bus routes in Hong Kong for the complete route list. Hong Kong Island routes Colour codes * Standard routes are denoted in purple. * Urban Express routes (There are only 4 of them) are denoted in red numbers with a yellow background. * Island Eastern Corridor Express routes are denoted in green. * Night routes are denoted in yellow numbers in black background. Route numbering pattern The numbering of bus routes follow a logical pattern. * Bus routes beginning with 2 all terminate in the eastern part of Hong Kong Island between Causeway Bay and Shau Kei Wan. * Routes beginning with 3 terminate at Chi Fu. * Routes beginning with 4 and 7 terminate in southwest Hong Kong Island (Cyberport, Wah Fu, Tin Wan, Aberdeen, Wong Chuk Hang). * Routes beginning with 6 all terminate in Stanley. * Routes beginning with 8 terminate in Chai Wan (including Siu Sai Wan). * Routes beginning with 9 terminate on Ap Lei Chau. * Triple digit routes beginning with 5 used to be fully air-conditioned routes, but now have no significant meaning. * Triple digit routes beginning with 7 are Island Eastern Corridor Express routes. Cross Harbour Tunnel routes Colour codes * Bus routes that go through the Cross Harbour Tunnel and Eastern Harbour Tunnel are denoted in red * Routes that make use of the Western Harbour Tunnel are denoted in green. Route operations Most of these routes are jointly operated with Kowloon Motor Bus, but routes 680A, 682, 682P, 694, 970, 970X and 971 are solely operated by New World First Bus. For the jointly-operated routes, NWFB is responsible for all bus stop facilities in Hong Kong Island. Numbering system All Cross Harbour Tunnel Routes have 3 digit numbers. * Route numbers beginning with 1 go through the Cross Harbour Tunnel. * Routes beginning with 3 are morning peak hour express routes. * Routes beginning with 6 travel through the Eastern Harbour Tunnel. * Routes beginning with 8 are shuttle buses that travel from the Shatin Racecourse. * Routes beginning with 9 travel through the Western Harbour Tunnel. Kowloon and New Territories routes The same colour codes as those on Hong Kong Island apply for NWFB"s Kowloon and New Territories Network. To distinguish NWFB routes from Kowloon Motor Bus routes, each route"s number has 3 digits and all begin with 7. Fare scheme All passengers on New World First Bus are required to pay the exact fare upon getting on the bus. The bus fare can be paid by cash or by Octopus Card. Children and Senior Citizens (people aged 65 or older) pay a Concessionary Fare, which is half of the full fare. Sectional fare Sectional fares apply to some of the longer routes. If a passenger gets on the bus after a specified stop that situates further away from the start of the route, he may pay less. Furthermore, passengers of routes 14, 15 and N8P may also pay less if they do not wish to travel the entire length of the route. The rebate can be accessed by Octopus Card or cash. To enjoy the rebate using an Octopus Card, the passenger has to place his Octopus Card on the reader twice in the entire journey, once when he boards and once when he alights. The rebate will then be added to the stored value of his Octopus Card. For instance, if a passenger takes route 15 from the Peak, and alights at Wan Chai Gap, he will only pay $6.80 rather than the full fare of $9.20 when he uses his Octopus Card. Apart from that, the passenger can place the sectional fare into the farebox. However, this is permitted at the discretion of the driver. Bus-bus Interchange Scheme Ever since Citybus was acquired by NWFB"s parent company, NWS Holdings introduced the Bus-bus Interchange Scheme to encourage passengers to change buses. Not only does this allow the passenger to save money, it also allows redundant routes to be cancelled. The scheme is only available to users of Octopus Cards. When a commuter pays with an Octopus Card, the record of the bus route will be stored in the card. Then, as he boards any bus route supported by the scheme to continue his journey, a discounted fare will be deducted from his Octopus card, rather than the full fare. For example, if a passenger boards route 23, and changes to route 23A in the Admiralty Gardens, he will not be charged any fare when he boards the 23A, as long as both journeys were paid for by Octopus Cards. Same Day Return In early 2005, Citybus and New World First Bus jointly introduced Same Day Return Fares. The fare is available for their solely operated Cross Harbour routes with bus fares exceeding $15 and for NWFB"s Kowloon and New Territories network. In Mid-2006, the Same Day Return Fare was extended to all Cross-Harbour routes with fares over $10, regardless of the operator. Routes with fares between $10 and $14.90 enjoy a 10% discount on the return trip, while routes exceeding $15 enjoy a 20% discount on the return trip. As long as the passenger uses the same Octopus Card on both of his journeys, the discounted fare will be automatically deducted from his octopus card in the second journey. For example, the single journey fare for route 682 is $18.20, hence the passenger will be charged only $16.40 on his second journey if he uses an Octopus Card. Value Pack To encourage people to go sightseeing on NWFB buses, a Value Pack has been set up for the following 3 sets of routes: From Central/North Point to Stanley: * 63, 65, 66 From Stanley to Sai Wan Ho: * 14 From Sai Wan Ho to Central: * 2X, 720, 720A, 720P The passenger is encouraged to travel around Hong Kong Island either in a clockwise or anticlockwise direction starting at Central or North Point, stopping at Stanley on the way. As long as he uses a Octopus Card and takes the bus in the correct sequence of routes, he will receive a $1 interchange discount on the 2nd and 3rd rides. Bus amenities and services Onboard television In most buses, there are television screens installed on both the lower and upper saloon, known as FirsTVsion. They provide various entertainment programs, programs of Radio Television Hong Kong, as well as some advertisements. The television on NWFB was once operated by M-Channel, and later it turned to be operated by NWFB"s sister company and named the TV FirstVision. In 2005, RoadShow acquired FirstVision and started to broadcast their own programs on NWFB since early 2006. Next stop indication and sight explanations On routes like 15, a public address system has been installed on the bus, which tells the passengers where the next stop is. When the bus passes through certain sightseeing points, the PA system will also give a brief introduction of the sights. (e.g. Causeway Bay) As a public bus company serving Hong Kong, New World First Bus is committed to providing the best bus services at reasonable fares for the public. Our fully air-conditioned bus fleet and state-of-the-art engineering facilities, coupled with the professional management team and dedicated staff, offer the Hong Kong public safe, comfortable and reliable bus services. For overseas visitors, upon their arrival at the Hong Kong International Airport, they can take their first bus trip on our Cityflyer Express Bus right to the city"s hub. Moreover, our website is fully integrated with Citybus", so you can obtain comprehensive information about both companies and all our routes. We are bringing satisfactory services to all our customers. We hope to see you on our buses everyday! Samuel Cheng Managing Director New World First Bus Services Limited, Hong Kong"s newest and fastest-growing bus company, won the franchise to operate 88 routes until end July 2003. Our successful and seamless implementation of the initial routes, in conjunction with our growing reputation for quality service, had broken new ground by further extending its franchise to include local routes on the Kowloon peninsula and in the New Territories. Our first priority is our customer, we are fully committed to providing all commuters with quality, safety and reliable bus services. * New World First Bus provides safe, reliable, comfortable, clean and quality passenger services. * We give total satisfaction and value-for-money services to our customers. * We provide the best bus operations in Hong Kong. * We set new standards of service within the industry. * We build a professional team. * We provide prompt services accessible to all. * We are committed to providing better living conditions to the community Communicating with our customers and providing the means for them to communicate with us is essential if we are to provide customer-oriented services. We are therefore committed to providing an open and friendly environment where our customers will be able to contact us quickly and easily. * 24-hour Customer Service Hotline, Hotfax and Service Suggestions Email. * The first Customer Service Centre at Admiralty East Bus Terminus is opened * Courtesy Ambassadors and Customer Service Officers will be talking to customers and passengers on buses and at other locations in Hong Kong * A constant dialogue of information and visits are held with District Councils, the Government, political and interest groups to gain feedback from the Community. * Our bus stops and terminals will act as our "show-windows", providing route maps, destination and other useful information to our customers. To identify proactively customers" needs and requirements, we respond positively with quality service. We: * invested approximately HK$2 billion over the franchise period to improve the bus fleet, depots and passenger facilities. * ordered 550 new buses within two years from the day NWFB won the franchise. * continuously to construct 300 new bus shelters. * equipped our whole bus fleet with the Octopus system. * extend operating hours and improve levels of service in response to customer demands. * ordered new buses which conform to Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee (DPTAC) standards in the United Kingdom Wheelchair access and spacing become a standard facility in our bus fleet. The secret of our success is being constantly flexible and efficient. We extend service hours on required routes to meet passenger demand. Throughout the day, our scarce resources are fully utilized and we even have overnight bus services and Bus-to-Bus Interchange schemes as well. Introducing more flexibility and efficiency ever since our service inauguration has also helped us to generate a 35%+ passenger growth, this achieved despite there being no increase in the number of vehicles owned. By significantly increasing the number of passengers carried per bus, we have maximised the utilisation of road space and kept the fare low, thereby benefiting society as a whole as our customers. In future, we will - continue to upgrade service standards and enhance staff skills - continue to exceed customer expectations - continue set new standards for the industry - continue to seek expansion opportunities in terms of network and market share - continue to devote ourselves to environmental protection Items 2004 2005 2006 Bus Fleet* ¡@ Fleet size 708 694 694 Percentage of fleet equipped with Euro II/III engines 81.80% 79.10% 80.12% Percentage of fleet with air-conditioned services 99.87% 99.86% 99.86% Percentage of fleet with Octopus facility 100% 100% 100% ¡@ Bus Shelters ¡@ Total no. of bus shelters 145 148 147 ¡@ Bus Routes* ¡@ Total no. of routes 100 95 94 HK Island routes 57 54 53 Kowloon / NT routes 10 8 8 Cross Harbour Tunnel routes 33 33 33 ¡@ Customer Service Centre 1 1 1 ¡@ Number of Passengers Carried (Million) 184.91 179.89 179.95 ¡@ Km Operated (Million) 57.92 53.87 51.28 Note : -Year 2004 indicated the period from July 2003 to June 2004 -Year 2005 indicated the period from July 2004 to June 2005 -Year 2006 indicated the period from July 2005 to June 2006 * at the end of the reporting period Code of Practice New World First Bus ("NWFB") is not just a bus service provider, but also a responsible corporate citizen determined to manage our operations in the best possible manner to serve the community. All our management and operational blueprints has adopted the core attributes of our CSR value system and the key drivers of CSR for attaining sustainable development. Slogan A Good Citizen for All Vision To be a leading corporate citizen in the local public transport industry Mission Statement Care for and contribute to the community Enhance value for our stakeholders Deliver premier services to our customers Provide a safe and comfortable workplace for all our company members CSR Value System Our value system focuses on the five key drivers, whereas our corporate governance plays the centric and strategic orientation role: Key Drivers 1. Corporate Governance Corporate governance is the backbone of our value system. We firmly believe that good corporate governance is the key to ensure high level of management performance and sustainable development of the Company. Corporate policy To uphold the interests of different stakeholders, NWFB operates its business targeting on the highest standard of corporate governance. The corporate decision-making process is based on transparency, integrity, fairness and professional supervision. Management strategy To achieve our missions, NWFB has invested billions of dollars in the fully air-conditioned bus fleet and the advanced technology hardware as well as other engineering facilities to deliver our services in a safe and comfortable condition. We aim to be a caring company as well, so even more important is our commitment to bus services, staff welfare and enrichment, health and safety and environmental protection. Management team To achieve the best corporate governance, NWFB is served by a professional management team upholding high ethical values in their code of conduct as well as acquiring expertise in their respective fields. NWFB"s stakeholders With an aim to pursue service excellence, NWFB is committed to communicating with, listening to, and learning from our stakeholders such as: Employees Customers Government Community leaders Pressure groups Media Suppliers Other related parties Procurement and tendering process The company promotes open competition for its procurement needs, with contractual relationship based upon fair and reasonable contract terms. Procurement and tendering activities are based on the following principles: Impartial selection of capable and responsible suppliers and contractors; Effective use of competition; Selection of appropriate contract types according to needs; Compliance with laws, relevant regulations and contractual obligations; Adoption of an effective monitoring system and other management controls to detect and prevent bribery, fraud or other malpractices in the process of procurement and tendering; Prohibition of bribery and corruptive practices. Communication channels External communication: Customer Services (24-hour hotline at 2136 8888, hotfax at 2136 2136, e-mail at bus_ideas@nwfb.com.hk This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , website at www.nwfb.com.hk, or correspondence) In addition to the bi-monthly Passenger Liaison Group Meetings to gauge passengers" opinions, NWFB undertakes radio phone-in programmes, arranges visits and meets with legislators, politicians and interested parties. Media (press releases, press conferences, press visits, feature stories) Regular meetings with government departments and regulatory bodies (different natures of Transport Department meeting, District Councils" Traffic & Transport Committee and Public Transport Liaison Group meetings, Legislative Councils meetings, and disabled group meetings coordinated by Transport Department) Our bus stops and termini act as our "show-windows", providing route maps, destination and other useful information to our customers. Internal communication: Two-way communication system with staff members has been set up to review operational processes and to identify room for improvement. NWFB has opened several channels to converse with the employees, such as staff hotline, quarterly newsletter, , staff communication bus, and quarterly meeting with unions. NWFB"s Intranet is available to all NWFB employees and includes a wealth of information on company"s news and activities. Major CSR reporting system We have adopted a comprehensive reporting system with the following means of reporting tools, on different schedules, to fulfill our communication needs with different stakeholders. Fuller Disclosure (to be issued every year before end-November) Website at www.nwfb.com.hk Quarterly newsletter Policy and manual (procurement, health and safety, environmental protection) Brochure/ leaflet/ supplement related to different themes Regular reporting to Transport Department (e.g. monthly operating report, monthly bus accident record) 2. Bus Services NWFB is committed to providing the best possible public bus services in Hong Kong. To achieve this, NWFB has been making every effort and taking initiatives on different aspects. Accessible to all NWFB strives to make our services accessible to our passengers - including the disabled, the elderly and customers traveling with babies or small children. All the new buses will be equipped with features that meet the requirements of the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee ("DPTAC") in the UK. Performance pledge NWFB sets and achieves defined targets for operational capability, mechanical reliability and fleet availability. We publish these targets and our achievements on the website regularly so that the public can closely monitor our performance. Bus-Bus-Interchange concessions NWFB offers Bus-Bus-Interchange schemes in response to passengers" needs, and most of them provide free interchange. 24-hour service team NWFB has a 24-hour emergency control centre, together with a team of experienced outbound inspectors patrolling around, to monitor our bus services and daily operations. The control centre shall report any emergency on roads to the management and department heads through electronic system and appropriate tools, so the management would be able to assess the impact and react instantly. Stringent vehicle maintenance It is our prime objective to maintain our buses in the safest and most reliable condition. Apart from Certificate of Road Worthiness and Certificate of Fitness examinations required for the licensing of buses, NWFB also strictly follows Transport Department"s requirement of inspecting every franchised bus at least once a month. Bus safety measures NWFB considers that armrests, stanchions and handrails are more useful alternatives to seat belts for exposed or vulnerable seats, as they act as anchors for passengers to hold onto in case of emergency. NWFB has already retrofitted such fixtures to exposed seats on all buses. All buses have had speed limiting function restricting the maximum speed on level ground to 70km/hr. All new buses to be purchased will have such speed limiting function, as well as with the black box fitted. The black box can help monitor the driving behaviour of the bus captains. Driving performance of bus captains is monitored by laser guns by Area Traffic Inspectors, and ride-checks by driving instructors and plain-clothes officers. 3. Care for Staff Our beliefs: To have happy customers, we should firstly have happy staff. NWFB engages various Human Resources ("HR") practices to promote personal and professional employee development. We respect our employees" right to fair labour practice and a safe, harassment-free work environment. Privacy of employees NWFB believes the dignity and individuality of each employee shall be respected and the privacy and confidentiality of employee records shall be safeguarded. NWFB protects the privacy of employees at all times and their personal problems or records are treated with utmost confidentiality. Equal opportunity The Company supports equal opportunities for all its employees in recruitment, promotion, job transfer, training, etc. NWFB upholds anti-discrimination practices while all employees are assessed by their ability and suitability to meet the job requirements instead of any other individual status. Employee morale The Company provides staff with some generous welfare and benefits that are rarely available in other private local enterprises. NWFB organizes Outstanding Employee Award annually with attractive grand prizes to encourage best practice among staff. NWFB partnered with Christian Family Service Centre to offer professional counseling service to any staff members requiring guidance in their personal endeavours. NWFB has mechanisms and family friendly policy for employees to take care of urgent family needs. Open communication and consultation NWFB is committed to pursuing open communication and consultation in order to foster mutual trust and respect between the management and staff. The well-established consultative mechanism includes regular meetings with unions which are held four times per annum. Employee development NWFB appreciates the importance of total customer care and supports employee development by way of permitting time out for staff to attend classes. NWFB always values staff training. Ongoing courses are running concurrently to upgrade different skills for different staff, such as superb customer service training, annual driving skills refresher training, technical engineering training, occupational health and safety courses, and management and professional proficiency courses. 4. Health & Safety NWFB is committed to providing a safe working and traveling environment for our staff, passengers and contractors. Safety is everyone"s responsibility at all times and of paramount importance. Stringent safety requirements & trainings NWFB enforces stringent safety requirements for meeting our very high standards. We have launched various awareness enhancement campaigns and offer comprehensive safety training to our contractors and staff. NWFB undertakes ongoing programmes to raise safety awareness amongst our passengers, staff and contractors. In particular, greater emphasis has been placed on promoting road safety messages to other road users along with in-bus safety messages to passengers. Environmental & Safety Department The Company has set up the Environmental and Safety Department to stipulate safety rules and work procedures, undertake spot checks and bi-monthly patrol inside the depots, bus termini and office areas. The Company maintains and constantly reviews the existing facilities, equipments and buses to ensure safety and efficiency of bus service. Health condition of staff The Company is responsible for financing the health checks of employees to ensure their fitness for employment. All staff members have to pass a medical check to be arranged by the Company before their employment commences. NWFB has a panel doctor scheme with which staff can consult doctors of the panel with the NWFB medical card. Medical checks are also arranged annually for bus captains aged above 50. The Company prohibits the use of illegal drugs and alcohol at the Company"s premises. Alcoholism and drug dependence that affect work performance shall not be tolerated. Community initiatives by the Company and the staff NWFB is committed to fostering and cultivating relationship with the community and is sensitive to the community"s culture and needs. NWFB encourages employees to participate in community and public service. A direct way is to join the corporate volunteer team, which is a member of our parent Company"s NWS Volunteer Alliance that organizes various voluntary services. The Company invites employees" families to join the community and voluntary services together. NWFB co-organizes projects and community services with different social service organisations. The Company sponsors the activities of charitable organizations and government departments, like participating in fund-raising activities, providing cash donations and free shuttle bus services, sponsoring free media space on bus shelters and bus bodies as well as free in-bus TV airtime. The Company provides a day of free ride for the disabled on NWFB routes on the International Day of Disabled Persons.The Company is keen to share business expertise with secondary and tertiary students in their school projects. Visits from schools, community centres, etc are welcomed in order to enhance the public"s understanding of the Company. NWFB supports road safety events held by Transport Department, police and/or District Councils through sponsoring bus displays, open-top bus and distributing leaflets, etc. The following is an exhibit of relevant community initiatives within 2004: Activities Quantity Sponsor bus body advertising spaces 50 advertising spaces Sponsor bus shelter advertising panels 562panels Sponsor free in-bus TV airtime 358 spots Sponsor special bus services 5 times Sponsor free gifts Over 1,500 pieces No. of participants in volunteer activities 40 participants No. of beneficiaries 55 organizations 5. Environmental Protection NWFB puts its environmental protection concepts from vision into actions. Green concept has been upheld as an integral part of our management philosophy. We comply with all mandatory environmental legislation. Ultra low sulphur diesel NWFB"s entire fleet has been using ultra low sulphur diesel since 2000 to improve emission level. Green education and training Bus captains are required to turn off engines when stopping at bus termini. They are encouraged to reduce usage of in-bus lighting system when daylight is rich, and are instructed to increase speed gradually and brake smoothly when driving. Emission testing Our buses receive emission tests regularly. NWFB has set a very stringent emission standard for its fleet, which is much more demanding than the emission standard set by Environmental Protection Department and Transport Department (current official upper limit is 50 Hartridge Smoke Unit i.e. HSU). Influence suppliers and contractors with environmental protection concepts NWFB uses environmentally friendly goods or components where possible, such as refrigerants used in chiller plants, etc. Others NWFB is committed to protecting the environment and minimizing the use of energy, natural resources and harmful emission. NWFB recognizes the potential environmental impacts associated with its services and is dedicated to minimizing these impacts by deploying preventive measures, like conservation of resources, emissions control and enhancement of staff environmental awareness through training. NWFB Chong Fu Road depot has undertaken a full Environmental Impact Assessment, on top of a well developed Environmental Management Plan and Environmental Management Systems, which conforms to stringent international standards. NWFB utilizes bus deployment on busy corridors by undertaking route rationalization and bus-bus interchange programmes for easing road congestion and improving air quality. New World First Bus is committed to providing Hong Kong with the best possible bus service at socially-acceptable fares. The table below lists out targets and achievements for Operational Capability, and Mechanical Reliability, which are two core competencies in bus operations. We do our best to meet all the set targets; and strive to achieving higher standard in different aspects of our operations. 2004 actual 2005 actual 2006 actual 2007 target Mechanical Reliability 933.51 1065.3 1120 1200 Operational Capability 98.77% 98.32% 98.50% 99% Remarks * Mechanical Reliability The average number of trips operated before a bus would experience one mechanical breakdown on the road while passengers are on board * Operational Capability The ratio of actual number of bus departures to the scheduled number of bus departures during morning peak hours in the peak direction Comments Please login to post comments or replies.