Committed to providing quality bus service

We refer to the letter from Andrina Chang about a Route No A41 bus captain, which appeared in the South China Morning Post, on December 6.

In bus captain training and according to our Bus Captain Service Regulations, all bus captains should be ready to help passengers get on one of our buses, where this proves to be necessary. Lowering the bus floor and ramp floor for passengers who need the ramp is part of our customer service for passengers, including tourists.

According to our guidelines with regard to the airport bus routes such as the A41, bus captains should open doors for passengers who want to board about five minutes before departure, as this strikes a balance between passenger convenience and the need for bus captains to rest. Exceptions include bad weather and extreme rush hours in the mornings and afternoons.

Upon receipt of Ms Chang's case, our discipline officer interviewed the bus captain concerned. He was reminded to be more customer-friendly and observant and to render assistance to passengers whenever necessary.

Our commitment to providing an excellent service goes beyond this incident.

We will continue to check the performance of this bus driver, by assigning plainclothes staff to ride on his bus and observe his behaviour. If we detect any departure from our service standards and regulations, he will be subject to further disciplinary proceedings.

To further enhance the service quality of our frontline staff including bus captains, we have launched a large-scale training programme, our Service Enhancement Project, in which about 9,000 KMB staff are receiving comprehensive training on customer service skills and being taught how to provide a top-class service to our passengers.

We believe this project and helpful feedback from passengers such as Ms Chang will ensure our effectiveness in providing a good service to passengers.

JENNIFER WONG Corporate Affairs Manager The Kowloon Motor Bus Co (1933) Ltd