What should land with a giant thud on my desk shortly after lunch courtesy of Helen the Pantry Lady cum Wiper of Management Grade Telephones but the latest annual report of Transport International Holdings, AKA KMB, AKA Sun Hung Kai Property’s attempt to gain a foothold in the Bus Depots Ripe for Conversion into Luxury Flats business?
Staring out at me is the elvish figure of one Roger Lee Chak Cheong (once of Bexley Borough Council, no less), who has an interesting answer to the question put to him in his little conversation with shareholders about the future of buses given the fact that the government is going bonkers opening new railway lines.
Roger is quickly into his stride, contrasting rail commuters, who “value efficiency over comfort” with bus passengers, who don’t care how late the bus turns up or whether it gets stuck in traffic on Nathan Road for an eternity.
I jest, of course, but not a lot. What the bus offers is “a 24-hour personalised service”. Mm, that caught my attention and I have to confess I was off on a little reverie, remembering my first trip to Bangkok. But Roger’s just warming up. The next bit’s so good I’ll quote it in full:
“Before they leave home every day, passengers can use their mobile phone apps to choose the route and the bus which best suit them from our wide network. Knowing the time of arrival of their chosen departure in advance enables them to have their Breakfast or catch up on the news before starting out.”
I’m not sure what Roger has for breakfast but it sure gives him something most mortals are lacking. There’s no stopping him now:
“Planning the day’s journey is easy and literally at one’s finger tips, which is perfect for the new generation of urbanites for whom a comfortable and easy lifestyle is important.”
Like all the great performers, our Rog leaves the best till last:
“We are our own greatest competitor, constantly Unleashing the power of the bus to make it the preferred choice of passengers.”
Heady stuff, indeed, until you consider that this is the company that brought us Aristotle’s “First Mover”.
