Putting an end to bus tragedy

Within two weeks of April, four people have been killed in three road accidents involving express buses, triggering criticisms on the country's lackadaisical effort in enforcing road safety.

* April 12 - A Transnasional double-decker bus hit an electric pole and overturned at KM11, Jalan Bentong-Raub. Three passengers were killed while ten others were injured.

* April 19 - An Etika Express bus crashed into a road divider at KM116 of the East Coast Highway near Temerloh, injuring 28 passengers.

* April 20 - Another double-decker express bus plunged down a slope along KM70 of the Kuantan-Segamat highway. A British tourist was killed, 39 passengers injured.

These incidents happened barely two months after an independent advisory panel released 51 recommendations on ways to improve road safety, following the nation’s deadliest bus crash tragedy in Genting Highlands on August 21, 2013 which claimed 37 lives.

Among others, the panel covered areas pertaining to vehicle testing and inspection, issuance of operating licenses for public vehicles, and recommendations to establish a nationwide systematic road safety assessment and risk mapping.

On the recommendations to improve safety on hillslope roads, which are high risk and accident prone areas, it has called for an upgrade on current road design specifications and to develop and implement speed management strategy for hilly roads.

Yet, with the recommendations in place, the question is 'Are these proposals sufficient to put a stop to bus accident tragedies? If they are indeed enough, is there a lack of enforcement in upholding the recommendations? And if so, who are the respective stakeholders held accountable and responsible?'

Faced with the seriousness of the issue, the government gets tough on express bus companies and drastic measures have been introduced to tackle the problem.

1. Double-decker bus ban

The Transport Ministry will implement a temporary ban on double-decker buses from ferrying passengers to six accident-prone hillslope routes starting May 1, 2014.

The routes are Cameron Highlands, Genting Highlands, Fraser’s Hill, Bukit Larut, Gunung Jerai and Bukit Tinggi.

Deputy transport minister Datuk Abdul Aziz Kaprawi, following a meeting with the Cabinet Committee on Bus Accident today, said the ban will stay until the authorities have studied the routes and identified the common causes of accidents in those areas.

2. Permit suspension

Meanwhile, the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) has suspended the permits of 27 Konsortium Transnasional Berhad (KTB) express buses plying the East-North Sector effective today.

According to a SPAD audit on the April 12 fatal accident involving one of its buses, it found that Transnasional has violated licensing conditions and failed to monitor the speed limits.

In 2010, as part of licensing condition, all express and tour buses must be equipped with Global Positioning System (GPS). The audit found that the GPS for the Transnasional buses were not functioning.

Abdul Aziz added that the use of GPS in all buses would be made compulsory by June.

3. Daily urine tests

In the Transnasional incident, the driver was tested positive for drug abuse.

Abdul Aziz said that starting today, all express bus drivers are compelled to undergo daily urine test at bus terminals before they go off to their directed destinations.

The tests will be conducted by the Road Transport Department (RTD) and the National Anti-Drug Agency involving some 8,600 bus drivers.

The driving licence of the driver who fails the test would be suspended immediately.

The Peninsular Malaysia Road Transport Officers Union lauded the move but suggested that bus operators should take more responsibility in ensuring that their drivers are fit to carry out their duties.

“This is a good move but what employers can do is to be more aware of their drivers – those who come to work with red eyes or suspected of taking drugs. Make them take the urine tests. They should be dismissed immediately if the tests are found positive,” its president Hamzah Masri said.

4. Rating system

The Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS) will conduct 'star rating' for express buses so that the public can decide and choose the type of bus that they want to travel in.

The system, which would be implemented by July, would display the company's ratings at ticketing counters and their vehicles.

Also, bus registration number and the contact numbers for complaints will be displayed on all seats in express buses by July.

5. Belt up

All express bus seats will be installed with seat belts by January 1, 2015.

This requirement was one of the recommendations covered by the independent advisory panel. It added that this exception should only be provided for stage buses plying urban areas.

Previously, the requirement for installing safety seat belts covered only the front row seats of the bus.