How we can reduce bus accidents

My article in today's Star Newspaper.

Friday April 18, 2008

How we can reduce bus accidents

I READ with concern whenever there is a fatal express bus accident.
Although most accidents are due to careless drivers, the hilly terrain of our country is a major contributory factor.

The authorities are always threatening to ground the whole fleet of buses of any company involved in such accidents, but how many have they grounded? Can they really ground the buses without discrimination? How about the buses of GLC or those related to political entities?

The answer is they can't. Firstly, it is not right to penalise the company who has invested a huge sum of money into the services.

Secondly, there will be chaos because eventually, there will be no buses on the road.

Accidents are bound to happen, we can minimise but cannot eliminate them.
The ones to be blamed are the drivers and the authorities. We should take severe action against the drivers involved in fatal accidents. Suspend their licence and jail them.

As for the authorities, if the fares are not controlled and not so many licences have been issued, existing companies can make more money and pay higher salaries and employ more staff. They can also hand pick the drivers.
If the authorities want to blame the companies then what about the JPJ? JPJ is the one who issues the driving licence.

K. C. KHOO,
Penang.