Australian bus depots so far not affected by bushfires: ComfortDelGro

TRANSPORT operator ComfortDelGro Corp's bus depots in Australia face "low to moderate exposure to bushfire risk", even as deadly wildfires continue to ravage the southern continent.

Mainboard-listed ComfortDelGro runs bus fleets in the affected states of New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland, including on regional routes. It also has bus services in Western Australia, the Australian Capital Territory, and the Northern Territory, as well as taxis and healthcare transport vehicles such as non-emergency ambulances in various states.

But none of its bus commuter services in the fire-stricken states have been affected so far, the group said in a press statement released on Monday evening, after queries from The Business Times (BT). It separately told BT that there has been no direct impact to any other services either.

ComfortDelGro said that the depots are in industrial areas "where there is insufficient natural fuel", with Nicholas Yap, chief executive of ComfortDelGro Corporation Australia, adding that depot evacuation plans include the emergency relocation of staff and buses "for operations to continue".

"We continue to monitor the situation and are working closely with the authorities to ensure the safety of our staff and commuters," he said.

ComfortDelGro's Australian operations most recently contributed S$471.3 million, or about 16.2 per cent of overall revenue, in the nine months to Sept 30, 2019.

Meanwhile, ComfortDelGro Corp has set up a relief fund, seeded with A$250,000 (S$234,600), to support Australian firefighting efforts.

On top of disbursing grants from that kitty to employees who have had to evacuate or who have lost their homes to blazes, the company will also provide emergency service volunteers with both paid leave and transport.

Financial support for volunteer firefighters, who had been going unpaid, became a political hot potato in Australia as the situation worsened in recent weeks.

The federal government eventually announced in end-December that it would pay up to A$6,000 a head for qualifying Rural Fire Service Volunteers in New South Wales who are self-employed or work for small- and medium-sized enterprises.

"We expect larger companies to provide their employees with 20 days of emergency services leave," Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said at the time.

Australia's ongoing and unusually intense fire season, which is concentrated in the country's south-east, has so far claimed 25 lives.

ComfortDelGro shares closed S$0.04 or 1.7 per cent lower at S$2.32 on Monday before the announcement.