Limits on buses for safety
The Star Online, 21 February 2014
KUALA LUMPUR: Buses and other public service vehicles plying hilly routes should be subject to a host of special restrictions to make them safer to ride in, according to the independent advisory panel on the Genting Highland Bus crash.
The restrictions include disallowing standing passengers and having special limits on the maximum number of seated passengers.
The panel stated in its report of the crash to the Transport Ministry that these restrictions should be made based on a vehicle’s length, width, height and laden weight and should be reviewed by the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD).
These were among its 51 recommendations made on the Aug 21 bus tragedy that left 37 people dead and 16 others injured, making it the worst-ever road tragedy in the country.
The panel also recommended that double decker or high-deck buses be disallowed from taking hilly roads until present weaknesses were rectified by the relevant authorities.
Acting Transport Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said the panel’s recommendations were applicable to other hillside roads prone to accidents, which had been classified as black spots across the country.
“With the release of the report, I hope that it will end any finger pointing or allegations made against us,” he told a press conference after launching the Malaysian Armed Forces: The Nation’s Shield 80th Anniversary Book at Mindef, here, yesterday.
Hishammuddin also said the independent advisory panel would be turned into a permanent National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
The report states that the primary event leading to the crash was speeding although there were many other contributing factors.
While the road where the accident occurred - which starts from Genting Sempah and ends at Genting Resort – was open to the public, no enforcement on speeding had ever been conducted there by the authorities since it was privately owned. Other issues include road barriers that did not follow the road geometry and a poorly designed emergency escape ramp.
It found that the front brake linings of the bus were so badly worn out that the rivets were exposed.
The panel noted that while the approved design for the bus had specified front row safety seatbelts, this was not complied with.
It found that the bus owners Genting Highland Transport Sdn Bhd had allowed the driver, who had 15 summonses for speeding and one for traffic obstruction to drive the vehicle, indicating poor compliance with occupational safety and health requirements.
The panel also raised questions over the handling of the fact that while the bus had been blacklisted by the RTD, the department had however denied it, stating that it might have been due to discrepancies between the RTD database and the server.
“The panel believes such contradiction if true as claimed, is not a coincidence nor an isolated case,” it said.
Other notable findings were that the installed chevron markers at the curves were inadequate while the transverse bars at the site were not up to standard.
It also pointed out that the safe speed of the curve at the crash site was calculated to be 30kph, which is much lower than the posted speed limit of 50kph.
Among the recommendations were establishing a nationwide systematic road safety assessment and risk mapping and requiring more safety barriers at high risk sections.
It also recommended a review on the existing approval and licensing and inspection processes of public service and goods vehicle.
Others included the standardisation of implementation for road design and signage and approval processes both for public and private roads.
It also stated that the ineffective communication system in hilly and remote areas created difficulties among rescue members during the search and rescue operations of the crash.
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