PASSION! 2022 Booklet by cdgsg

ISSUE 2022

An annual publication to honour our people

ComfortDelGro Corporation Limited

CONTENTS 1

MD/GCEO’S MESSAGE

OUR PEOPLE. OUR PASSION!

BE OUR NEXT PASSION! WINNER

MD/GCEO’S MESSAGE

Dear Colleagues, This is an exciting time for the mobility sector. We see an increased in novel mobility solutions, emerged from new technologies and fuelled by the passion of the people in the sector. It is the same passion that also sustained our bus captains, taxi drivers, service ambassadors and our team to make a difference in our communities, and to go beyond their area of work. This year, we continue to recognise and celebrate this spirit through the PASSION! Award. To find that individual amongst us who exemplifies this spirit, we have searched far and wide across our businesses. Out of the 36 nominations we have received from our Business Units, 10

MD/GCEO’S MESSAGE

employees were particularly laudable, and whose remarkable stories fill and colour the pages of this e-PASSION! Booklet. This year’s winner, Cabby Chen Haiyan of Shenyang ComfortDelGro Taxi impressed us with her dedication and going beyond the call of duty. Last year, as part of a taxi fleet assigned to help out during the COVID-19 lockdown in Shenyang, Cabby Chen tirelessly led large trucks coming into the City to the Dadong district for disinfection every night from 7pm to 7am, for a stretch of 40 days. One evening, she also chanced upon a taxi, which had caught fire after a substation near it was struck by lightning. She immediately rushed to put out the fire in the rain to prevent greater damage before the firefighters arrived.

Ms Lisa Quiney, an Ambulance Attendant with the National Patient Transport (NPT), Australia, also wowed us when she stepped up to salvage NPT’s ambulances and assets during the heavy floods. She also shifted the entire operations to her home for four weeks – sacrificing her convenience and personal space. For her exceptional commitment, Lisa will be receiving the Special Mention Award. Please join me in congratulating Cabby Chen and Lisa, as well as eight other finalists. Winner and finalists alike, they have much to be proud of. I would like to thank them for inspiring us to make that extra step to enable safer and greener journeys for all. Warmest Regards Cheng Siak Kian

2022 WINNER

OUR PEOPLE, OUR PASSION

~ Not all heroes wear capes. ~ In the case of Cabby Chen Haiyan, who endured long hours of work during the COVID-19 lockdown last year, she is nothing short of a hero. As part of the Lei Feng taxi fleet, Cabby Chen shouldered the task given by the Government to lead trucks – which carried food and medical supplies – coming into Shenyang to Dadong district for disinfection before they were allowed to enter the City for delivery. Although Shenyang was in lockdown, Cabby Chen still plied the streets during the day for fares. Then, on the nights that she was on duty, Cabby Chen would go to the entrance of Zhuertun Expressway where she led incoming trucks in her taxi to a service area in Dadong to be sprayed with disinfectant before driving back to the entrance again.

A round trip took an hour to complete, and Cabby Chen would do this non-stop from 7pm to 7am. Sometimes, she even had to make as many as 10 round trips in one night! Amazingly, she kept at this for more than 40 days from May to December 2022. One time, at about 1am, Cabby Chen had wanted to stop over at a petrol kiosk to refuel her taxi when she saw a taxi, which was parked near a substation that had been struck by lightning, suddenly burst into flames. Cabby Chen immediately called the Fire Department and the Police. Although it was raining heavily, the fire was spreading to other private vehicles near it. Without a moment to lose, Cabby Chen got out of her taxi, took the fire extinguisher from the taxi boot, and tried to put out the fire by herself for over 40

CHEN HAIYAN Cabby Shenyang ComfortDelGro Taxi Co., Ltd, China Length of Service: 7 years Awards: • Model Taxi Driver of Shenyang Municipal • Five Star Taxi Driver of Shenyang Municipal

minutes. Luckily, the firefighters soon arrived to extinguish the fire. Even then, she did not take a breather, but stayed on to help keep onlookers away from the fire. Recounting the incident, Cabby Chen said: “It is scary thinking about it now. But at that moment, I did not give it much thought. As cabbies, our taxis are our means of livelihood. All I wanted was to minimise the damage the fire was causing when I tried to put it out.” For displaying incredible grit and public spiritedness, Cabby Chen was crowned 2022’s PASSION! Award Winner! Cabby Chen, you are truly a hero!

2022 SPECIAL MENTION

OUR PEOPLE, OUR PASSION

~ When the township of Seymour, Victoria

experienced its worst flood in decades, it’s natural to think first of one’s own safety. ~ But, not for Ms Lisa Quiney. Despite not being on duty, Lisa, who is based at the National Patient Transport (NPT) branch in Seymour, rushed back to help out amidst the chaos and devastation caused by the flood. She worked tirelessly into the night, showing little concern for her own well-being to salvage NPT’s vehicles and assets. Lisa courageously drove not one but three NPT vehicles to her residence by navigating through floodwaters and heavy rain each time.

For five weeks, Lisa housed these vehicles at her residence while flood recovery efforts were underway. She even facilitated their despatch and provided uninterrupted patient transport services. Even after the floodwaters had receded, Lisa continued to help out to ensure operation returned to normal by carrying out tasks such as clearing out damaged assets and ruined carpeting at the office.

LISA QUINEY Ambulance Attendant National Patient Transport, Australia Length of Service: 6 years Awards: • NPT Heart Quarterly Award 2022 • NPT Heart Award–Overall 2022 Winner

In the midst of these challenges, Lisa stood out as an outstanding symbol of bravery and unwavering dedication. She is therefore deserving of the Special Mention Award! Thank you, Lisa! Your commitment and dedication to NPT and the community serves as an inspiration to us all.

2022 OUTSTANDING FINALIST

OUR PEOPLE, OUR PASSION

~ Maintaining close to 170 buses with a full manpower

strength of 15 mechanics is already hard enough but to do so during a manpower crunch is by no means an easy feat. ~ In spite of a shortage of mechanics at his workshop, Workshop Manager of CDC Wyndham, Mr Abdul Atik, continued to organise and schedule the necessary work, ensuring that vehicles were serviced on time and defects were attended to in an efficient and timely manner. Exacerbating the issues further was the fact that the workshop had hired new but inexperienced mechanics at the same time, so Abdul and his foreman had to spend time mentoring them on top of all that they had to do. On the home front, Abdul’s father was also battling severe liver cancer, and Abdul had to take almost every second Monday off to bring his father for chemotherapy. Despite this, Abdul did his best to balance his home and work commitments. He stayed late or came in on weekends often

to help the mechanics, and even chose to return to the depot to cover for absentees after his father’s treatment. Thanks to his efforts and that of his workshop team, the fleet continued to be fully operational and achieved 100% compliance with the annual road safety inspections required by the Bus Safety Act. This achievement was acknowledged during the Management Information System and Maintenance Management System Audit in 2022, where the CDC Wyndham depot was recognised for being the most compliant and well-run workshop in CDC Victoria.

ABDUL ATIK Workshop Manager CDC Wyndham, Australia Length of Service: 17 years

Bravo, Abdul! Your resilience and fortitude during these trying times are truly remarkable and inspiring to all!

OUR PEOPLE, OUR PASSION

2022 OUTSTANDING FINALIST

~ When you are stuck in a secluded area with a broken down taxi in the wee hours of the morning, who do you call? ~ In the case of Cabby Li Jiayuan of Nanning Comfort Transportation, it was Mr Cao Chun Ming, Manager of the Operations Department at the Company! Cabby Li, who had just joined the Company as a driver not long ago, was plying in a remote area of Yinhai Boulevard at around 1am on 10 November 2022 when his taxi suddenly broke down. CAO CHUN MING Manager, Operations Department Nanning Comfort Transportation Co. Ltd, China Length of Service: 17 years

Cabby Li knew getting a tow truck at that hour would have been impossible! But one name came to mind – Chun Ming, the manager, who had warmly received him and shared his mobile number during the onboarding process. Desperate, Cabby Li decided to call Chun Ming. To his surprise and relief, Chun Ming answered!

Cabby Li shared what had happened to his taxi, and asked Chun Ming whether he could help. Chun Ming immediately assured him that he would be there in person in 30 minutes. He did so in 20 minutes and helped to jumpstart the taxi. And this wasn’t the only occasion that Chun Ming lent a helping hand. In May 2022, Chun Ming was driving home after work when he saw a worried-looking cabby standing next to his taxi that was parked along the roadside with its hazard lights activated. Without hesitation, Chun Ming stopped his car and approached the cabby. When the cabby shared that his taxi had run out of fuel, Chun Ming immediately whipped out a towing rope from his car boot, and hooked it

to his own car and the taxi. He then invited the cabby to sit in his taxi as he was going to tow the taxi with his car to the nearest fuel kiosk that was 500m away. On why he went out of his way to help these cabbies out, Chun Ming said: “The relationship between Management and cabbies is a close one. My colleagues and I are not only managers to the cabbies,

we are also their partners, mentors and advisors. We can only fully gain our cabbies’ long-term support and trust if we take the initiative to serve and help them with patience and sincerity. This, in turn, will benefit the Company in the long run.” Indeed, such work ethics have set Chun Ming apart from the others. Thanks Chun Ming for going the extra mile!

OUR PEOPLE, OUR PASSION

2022 OUTSTANDING FINALIST

~ Disability is not inability. ~ This is the ethos that guides Assistant Chief Driving Instructor, Mr Chong Boon Heng. Having successfully completed the twoday Driving Assessment & Rehabilitation Course conducted by Tan Tock Seng Hospital and the Handicaps Welfare Association (HWA) in February 2022, Boon Heng understood very well that training and assessing these drivers – whether old or new – would require a lot of patience and understanding on his part. CHONG BOON HENG Assistant Chief Driving Instructor ComfortDelGro Driving Centre, Singapore Length of Service: 7 years

Every week for the next few months, Boon Heng was assigned four drivers a day by Singapore General Hospital in which he was required to assess their driving capability and fitness for 35 minutes each. For those who used hand control gadgets to steer, brake, accelerate and signal due to leg injuries, Boon Heng would take time to familiarise himself with the gadgets

so that he could better demonstrate how they are to be used. He also had to install and test them to ensure they worked properly each time before a lesson. To-date, he has assessed about 40 such drivers. Besides conducting assessments, Boon Heng also conducts Class 3A Driving Course for disabled learners from HWA who have been assessed to be physically fit to learn driving. He is assigned one learner every month on average, and teaches them two lessons a week for nine to 12 weeks before they undergo the practical test. An hour before each lesson, Boon Heng would make his way to HWA located at Whampoa to pick up the specially modified training car. After each lesson, Boon Heng would take the initiative to clean, wash and refuel the training car before sending it back to HWA.

One learner driver, with polio, had to learn how to steer the wheel with her left hand, while accelerating and signalling with her right. Boon Heng spent a total of 17 lessons to teach her, and she passed her practical test on 24 May 2023! She wasn’t the only one. Another learner driver, Mr Noorizuan Bin Zainal (left in photo), who was born with only three functional fingers, was the other one to pass – at the first attempt! He had wanted very much to learn driving to provide his elderly parents-in-law with a convenient mode of transport for their medical appointments. And he did after 10 lessons with Boon Heng. Thanks Boon Heng for making the wishes of these learner drivers come true!

OUR PEOPLE, OUR PASSION

2022 OUTSTANDING FINALIST

~ Thanks to Metroline’s bus driver, Mr David Gharu’s

quick thinking, a vulnerable woman was rescued from imminent danger late at night. ~ The incident happened on the night of 17 October 2022. David was driving his bus enroute to Heathrow Central when he saw a frightened young woman at a bus stop that his bus was stopping at. A car was parked right where the young lady stood, and it appeared that someone in the car was trying to coax her to get in. DAVID GHARU Bus Driver Metroline, United Kingdom Length of Service: 17 years

David stopped the bus immediately. Although he was not driving the bus service she was waiting for, David asked the woman to come onboard straightaway, and she did. Said one of the passengers who recounted the incident: “At around 11:30pm, a frightened woman at the bus stop was approached by someone in a car, coaxing her to get in. The bus driver witnessed it and urged her to board the bus for safety. He then took her to

town and ensured she alighted safely at a well-lit location. I personally believe that the driver was remarkable and deserves recognition. If it weren’t for his quick thinking, anything could have happened to that woman.” Uxbridge Garage Manager, Mr Stavros Heracleous, could not agree more: “I’m very proud of David’s superb actions. He’s a true gentleman who didn’t hesitate to intervene in this incident, which had a positive impact.” On why he did what he did, David said: “I was just doing what I would do if I see anyone in danger. It doesn’t matter to me whether they are young, old, female, or male. I would not have felt right if I had just driven past and later learned that something had happened to the lady, so it came naturally to me to stop and help.” Hats off to you, David!

2022 OUTSTANDING FINALIST

OUR PEOPLE, OUR PASSION

~ Some supervisors are afraid to share their knowledge with new colleagues, but not so in the case of Senior Logistics Supervisor at ComfortDelGro Engineering, Mr Don Kuo. ~

Don is more than willing and happy to mentor and train those under him. To-date, he has mentored and trained more than 10 new collegues after being promoted to this position in 2020. As a mentor, Don understands the strengths and weaknesses of his staff and deploys the right person for the job, so that operations at the logistics store go like clockwork. He also takes time to share his knowledge with new staff during the onboarding process. He would guide them through their daily tasks and the processes of running the store. Thanks to Don’s mentorship, one of his staff, Mr Michael Koh, is now a Senior Logistics Supervisor who runs the logistics store at Sin Ming.

with me how to operate the systems that we need to run the store. As such, I am able to run the store at Sin Ming confidently.” Since joining the Company in 2018, Don has also been assigned the role of Purchaser for the Central Purchasing & Logistics Department. As the Department’s Purchaser, he would go the extra mile to support time-critical requests by following up with vendors, even when he is on annual leave or medical leave. He even works overtime at home to complete his daily purchasing tasks and provides the quotations required by the Operations Team for submissions to insurance companies. Such is his dedication, not only to his staff but to vendors too!

DON KUO REEN PYNG Senior Logistics Supervisor ComfortDelGro Engineering, Singapore Length of Service: 5 years

Well done, Don!

Said Michael: “Don is a knowledgeable and patient mentor who isn’t afraid to share

OUR PEOPLE, OUR PASSION

2022 OUTSTANDING FINALIST

~ A 16-year-old girl with autism would have been stuck at the

Galway Coach Station if not for ComfortDelGro Irish Citylink’s Digital Marketing Analyst, Ms Faoshyat Azeez, who helped her. ~

FAOSHYAT AZEEZ Digital Marketing Analyst ComfortDelGro Irish Citylink, Ireland Length of Service: 2 years

The girl had come to Galway to meet a friend whom she had met online. Unfortunately, she missed the 5.30pm bus to Cork City where she lives. Not knowing if there was a later bus, she hid in the restroom at the station, worried.

After learning from the girl that she had missed her bus to Cork City, Faoshyat offered to contact her mother to explain what had happened. She then assured the girl’s mother that her daughter would be brought home safely.

By a stroke of luck, Faoshyat, who had just stepped into the station after work, chanced upon her at the restroom. Faoshyat immediately noticed the girl as she appeared distressed. As a young woman herself, Faoshyat understood how frightening it must be for the young girl to be stranded alone in an unfamiliar place, especially at night.

Faoshyat then swiftly arranged with the ComfortDelGro Irish Citylink’s Operations Team at Galway Station to put the girl on the last scheduled bus to Cork City at 7.30pm. Faoshyat also made sure the bus driver was aware of the girl’s situation so he could look out for her and ensure she reached Cork City.

So, Faoshyat did the most natural thing that came to her. She approached the frightened girl to calm her down and brought her out of the restroom to find out what had happened.

Thank you, Faoshyat, for looking out for the 16-year-old!

2022 OUTSTANDING FINALIST

OUR PEOPLE, OUR PASSION

~ As if recruiting cabbies wasn’t hard enough, imagine

having to ensure the pool of cabbies under her care remained consistently available at 300 for three consecutive years! ~ From 2020 to 2022, Driver Relations Officer, Ms Lin Xueni, was tasked to find as many as 300 cabbies when the Company was called upon by the Government to provide transfers for COVID-19 patients. She did so without complaining, even when she had to put in extra hours on weekends to find and persuade suitable cabbies to provide services for these transfers. When faced with resistance from cabbies, she did not give up but continued to search for willing cabbies. For three years, Xueni had to ensure this pool of some 300 cabbies was available whenever needed to send COVID-19 patients to quarantine centres for swab tests. This meant she had to find replacements for last-minute changes when a cabby was suddenly unable to make it.

When cabbies called her after office hours or on weekends about their fears in transferring COVID-19 patients, Xueni would listen to them and offer assurance. Understanding their concerns, Xueni conducted training about donning Personal Protective Equipment sothat they could better understand the precautionary measures that the Company had put in place. In doing so, she was able to allay their fears. After COVID-19 patient transfers tapered off in early-2022, Xueni was again tasked in February 2022 to recruit up to 60 cabbies to provide transfers for foster children between their foster home and school daily till next year. As these children are not allowed to miss school, her job was to ensure that these trips are fulfilled every weekday.

LIN XUENI Driver Relations Executive ComfortDelGro Taxi, Singapore Length of Service: 12 years

But Xueni isn’t just attentive to big groups of cabbies. To her, no request is ever too small. Even if it was just a cabby whose taxi had vehicular problems, Xueni would still take it upon herself to communicate with the workshop and monitor the progress till they were rectified. A cabby’s son was so impressed that he wrote in to thank her for helping his father out. Another cabby who repeatedly had booking jobs cancelled by customers vented his frustrations on Xueni regularly. Instead of dismissing the cabby’s complaint, Xueni personally investigated the matter, worked with relevant departments to determine the problem and spent considerable time explaining how the despatch system works to the cabby. This helped the cabby understand better and his attitude changed. With his newfound attitude, the cabby won the Top Cabby Award in 2022. Well done, Xueni, for your attention to details!

2022 OUTSTANDING FINALIST

OUR PEOPLE, OUR PASSION

~ At 67, Mr Ng Koon Hoo could have chosen to retire and take

it easy but instead, he chose to continue doing what he enjoys – serving his customers at VICOM Inspection Centre in Sin Ming. ~ Once, a customer, who was queuing to have her car inspected in the afternoon, accidentally locked herself out with the key still in the car. This cause a bottleneck at the inspection lane. Upon seeing that, Koon Hoo quickly jumped into action. He instructed his team to use two car jacks to lift the front and rear of the car so that they could shift it out of the queue. After learning that the spare car key was at her home, Koon Hoo volunteered to drive the customer home in his car to collect it. He then drove her back to the inspection centre.

containing a large sum of money near one of the control rooms at the inspection centre during his night shift. Unsure of what to do, Eddie called Koon Hoo for advice. Koon Hoo told him to keep the pouch inside the safe in the office first. The next morning, Koon Hoo checked the pouch and found a name card inside it. He then called the owner and even offered to personally return the pouch to him. The grateful owner politely declined and came down to the inspection centre to collect it from Koon Hoo instead.

Not only did Koon Hoo get the customer out of her predicament, he also minimised the degree of inconvenience caused to the other customers in the queue.

He later wrote in to VICOM to commend Koon Hoo and his colleague, Eddie. “Their ethics and integrity should be recognised and set as an example in an establishment like yours,” he said.

On another occasion, another inspector, Mr Uy Eddie Bon Oligario, found a pouch

Thank you for being a role model, Koon Hoo!

NG KOON HOO Assistant Centre Manager VICOM, Singapore Length of Service: 42 years

BE OUR NEXT PASSION! WINNER

AWARD

Passion resonates throughout the pages of this booklet. The people featured may be separated by continents but they all pulsate with the kind of energy and enthusiasm that sets them apart from the crowd. We believe that there are many more like them in our Group. Could it be you? Or your colleague? Perhaps your supervisor or your subordinate? Help us find them and let us all celebrate their achievements.

A cash prize of S$5,000, a trophy, a free trip* and a framed certificate await our Passion! winner, He/She will receive the Passion! Award at a lunch hosted by ComfortDelGro’s MD/GCEO. This winner’s name will also be engraved on a Hall of Fame plaque which is hosted in our Singapore headquarters. * Trip includes a pair of economy-class tickets, a two-night hotel stay and a halfday city tour.

ASSESSMENT PERIOD

From 1 January 2023 to 31 December 2023

SELECTION CRITERIA

In general, areas of consideration are as follows: • Number of service commendations • Other awards received • Attendance/punctuality • Job competency • Sense of integrity

• Safety and security consciousness • Enthusiasm/job interest • Customer focus • Responsibility • Special contributions