Expert: Inaction, weak enforcement to blame for unresolved bus safety issues
There is no need for the government to reinvent the wheel to ensure better bus safety, an expert said, pointing out that decade-old plans introduced after past crashes were not properly implemented.
Wan Agyl Wan Hassan, founder of transport think tank MY Mobility Vision, said the Road Transport Department (RTD) and the now-defunct Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) had developed multiple plans and initiatives to tackle bus safety issues.
"The problem is that, for the most part, they remain plans, largely due to a failure to implement or enforce the rules."
He cited SPAD's 2015 mandate for public service buses to be equipped with GPS tracking systems, allowing real-time monitoring by bus companies. A failure to comply would breach licensing conditions.
"If this has been implemented and enforced, why do drivers seem unafraid of speeding?" he told the New Straits Times.
Wan Agyl also called into question RTD's Kejara demerit system.
"When you have a demerit system, a driver should be suspended after several infractions or whatever threshold is set by the authorities," he said.
"In the case of the Gerik bus crash, the driver had 18 summonses, 13 of which were for speeding."
He said one of the root problems in enforcing rules was that authorities were "working in silos" and there was a lack of transparency.
"Every time there is a major crash, we read in the news that the driver had outstanding summonses, but what was done with that information before the crash?" he asked.
"The RTD, police and Land Public Transport Agency (APAD) should have access to the number of summonses a driver and a bus company receive from each agency.
"This should be marked in the Kejara system immediately. Right now, the demerit is recorded after a summons is paid. This is wrong."
He said summonses should be recorded when issued and once a driver or company accumulated a certain number of demerits, their licences should be suspended.
"In the interest of safety, these summonses should be visible to the public, so they can check and make the right choice when selecting a bus service."
Wan Agyl, a former SPAD group operations head of policy and planning, said as far back as 2013, the agency had proposed introducing a driver information system, which would allow users to check a driver's record.
"We can implement that now with QR codes. For example, put a bus driver's information on the bus, then people can scan the QR code to find out if he has any summonses," he said.
"If there is improved transparency, drivers would be more careful and companies would select their drivers more carefully.
"We just need the political will to execute what has already been studied, debated and agreed upon."
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