Experts urge stricter seat belt enforcement after fatal bus accident

KUALA LUMPUR: The tragedy that claimed the lives of 15 students at Km53 of the East-West Highway near Tasik Banding, Gerik, early Monday morning, highlights lapses in law enforcement and the careless attitude of some public transport operators who appear to take passenger safety for granted.
Although it was made mandatory in 2020 for new express buses and sightseeing buses to install seat belts for all passengers, after almost five years, the regulation appears to be largely ineffective, with little to no real impact.
Although a thorough investigation into the tragic incident is underway by a newly established special task force, experts also view the failure to enforce existing laws as a serious concern, highlighting the urgent need to improve passenger safety.
Commenting on this, Alliance for a Safe Community chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said many buses still do not comply with the seat belt requirement.
"When an accident occurs, passengers are thrown out of the bus due to not wearing seat belts. This demonstrates the careless attitude of public transport operators, who appear to disregard the safety of passengers.
"So I see this issue involving the failure to enforce the law. It is very important to implement and enforce measures to reduce the impact of fatal accidents," he told Bernama.
Meanwhile, Malaysian Road and Transport Safety Association president Md Hairolazaman Muhamed Nor said his organisation also emphasised the importance of monitoring seat belt installation in all buses.
"This action will encourage more bus operators to follow the regulations set by the Industry Code of Practice (ICOP) Safety Training and the Road Transport Department," he said.
Hairolazaman said the installation of a Global Positioning System (GPS) and cameras installed in buses can monitor passenger compliance with seat belt usage throughout the journey.
Sharing the same view, Universiti Putra Malaysia Road Safety Research Centre head Associate Professor Dr Law Teik Hua said bus operators can no longer take lightly the provision of seat belts in passenger seats.
"It is mandatory to have a seat belt in every seat in the bus. So the parties involved must find a way to ensure that passengers use the seat belt, for example, a seat belt with an 'alarm'.
"If not worn (the seat belt), it will sound and warn the bus driver to ensure that passengers comply with the rules," he explained.
In the accident that occurred between 12.30 and 1am, 15 students from Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) died after the chartered bus they were travelling in from Jertih to Tanjung Malim, Perak overturned after being involved in an accident with a multi-purpose vehicle.
The accident also left 33 others injured, including the bus driver and attendant, as well as the driver and three passengers of a Perodua Alza. – BERNAMA

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