Highway carnage and the broken pledge to make it safer
PUTRAJAYA: The recent bus crash in Gerik that claimed the lives of 15 Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) students has left the nation grieving, yet again raising pressing questions about transport safety that demand swift and decisive action.
As someone with a younger brother studying away from home, I now feel a twinge of fear each time he boards the campus shuttle in Bestari Jaya, Selangor. Although it is just a short trip to the nearest train station where I wait to pick him up, the uncertainty still lingers.
This latest tragedy cuts deep, especially for parents across Malaysia who now worry if their children will return safely from campus breaks.
The recent crash occurred around 1.10 am on June 9 along KM53 of the East-West Highway near Tasik Banding, where a chartered bus carrying 42 UPSI students reportedly collided with a Perodua Alza before skidding off the road, hitting a barrier, and overturning.
Thirteen students died at the scene while two others passed away in hospital. Thirty-three more individuals, including those in the MPV, were injured.
What makes this incident even more alarming is that it occurred barely a month after another fatal crash in Teluk Intan, involving a Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) truck, which killed nine policemen and injured several others.
Two deadly crashes involving large vehicles within weeks of each other do not feel like mere coincidences. Instead, they point to a system in urgent need of overhaul.
While both tragedies struck a deep emotional chord, the one that involved the students evoked my personal experience of a harrowing overnight bus ride from Manali to New Delhi, India.
Although it took place almost a decade ago, I vividly remember it to date as the fear was so intense I messaged my family with final words.
The dread of that night came rushing back upon hearing about the Gerik crash, especially after watching the dashcam footage, which showed the bus speeding and overtaking dangerously while descending a hilly and winding stretch of road.
The East-West Highway has always had a reputation for being challenging, said one of my colleagues, Sharifah Hunaini Syed Ismail, 49, who sometimes uses the same route when she drives back to her hometown in Pasir Mas, Kelantan.
But as a student of Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), in Penang, slightly over two decades ago, the only mode of transportation was bus, she said, adding that she often carried note on her personal information, messages to her mother (father had since passed on) and siblings in case she doesn't make it safe to either destination.
Sharifah Hunaini said the bus drivers were often ruthless and rides were a gamble between life and death.
Apparently, things have not changed much or changed at all since then.
The bus driver of the Gerik carnage is a 39-year-old man, who had 18 prior traffic summonses, mostly for speeding.
The bus operator reportedly had also sublet its permit to another party and failed to activate its GPS tracking system during the journey. These are serious breaches of basic safety regulations.
While the operator's licence has now been revoked, the case exposes glaring oversight failures and raises serious questions of how many others are getting away with similar violations.
To date, a special investigation task force comprising MIROS, JPJ and APAD has been set up to examine the causes behind the crash.
But, it shouldn't be another one-off investigation and once the dust settles, business as usual resumes.
This time must be different.
Several news reports citing the Global Burden of Disease 2024 Report stated that Malaysia had the second-highest road fatality rate among ASEAN nations in 2021.
The country recorded 23.7 road deaths per 100,000 people, trailing Thailand, which topped the list at 29.7. Vietnam ranked third with a rate of 21.7.
One person dies every two hours in road accidents in Malaysia, said the reports.
This calls for stricter enforcement as well as vehicle maintenance, proper driver vetting and safe road planning re-evaluated with urgency.
There are also other broader ideas worth considering.
The Tourism Ministry's offer to reclaim oversight of tourism-related transport could make a difference, especially if it works closely with the Transport Ministry as it has unique needs and risks and a dedicated oversight body could offer more focused regulation.
However, such a move must be executed with clear roles and coordination to avoid overlap or confusion.
Public institutions should also have access to a centralised verification system. This would allow them to check whether a bus operator's permit is valid, whether the vehicle is roadworthy, and if the driver has a clean record.
This transparency would place market pressure on companies to comply with safety standards. It is also time to make real-time GPS and speed monitoring mandatory for all chartered buses.
Such technology already exists and is used by some operators, Assoc Prof Dr Law Teik Hua from Universiti Putra Malaysia's Road Safety Research Centre shared, adding that the challenge now lies more in cost and cooperation than feasibility.
He believed that with government incentives and a phased rollout plan, this system can be widely adopted within a few years.
Another potential safety measure would be to restrict bus travel during high-risk hours, especially on dangerous roads like the East-West Highway.
This could be based on accident data, limiting travel during specific times while ensuring proper alternatives such as enforced rest breaks or daytime scheduling are in place.
'Three major reforms should be prioritised. First, all buses should be equipped with GPS and speed monitoring, overseen by a central authority.
'Second, permit allocation and enforcement must be streamlined through a transparent digital platform and third, drivers must undergo better training and follow strict protocols to manage fatigue. These steps would address weaknesses in both technology and human oversight,' Law said.
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