Based on accident reports in the media and on the outcome of accident investigations, we’ve observed that there are major accidents involving express buses at least once a year since 2006.

If all the actions promised after the Bukit Gantang tragedy in August, 2007 were seriously implemented, monitored, evaluated and continuously improved, chances of the Dec 26, 2009, Dec 20, 2010, Nov 12, 2011, the March 5. 2012 and the Aug 21 2013 accidents happening could have been minimised, if not totally avoided. The loss of lives may be even prevented.

Following Bukit Gantang tragedy in August 2007, the authorities decided to make rules governing bus companies and their operations stricter and even requiring bus companies use buses with strong superstructures. This was because more often than not the high number of fatalities and severe injuries are also contributed by weak body structures of the buses.

The Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros) has provide the following recommendations (among others) after the incident on Dec 20, 2013 and even in 2007:

1. Full compliance with Safety, Health and the Environment Code of Practice (SHE COP), developed for the transportation sector in 2007.
2. All buses have to comply with good safety standards, such as UNECE’s R66, R80 and R36, to be roadworthy.
3. The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (or UNECE) specifies standards for safety of vehicles especially the provisions governing the strength of bus superstructure which is often referred to as R66. R80 is the Uniform provisions concerning the approval of seats of large vehicles and of these vehicles with regard to the strength of seats and Anchorages.
4. The R36 is for Construction of Public Service Vehicles. Miros points out that drivers will have minimal time for training and re-training, and personal development when they chase for extra trips for increased income and compromising passengers’ safety due to fatigue.
5. Genting Holdings must also take responsibility for this mishap for poor standards of roads heading towards and out of the resort. Our fear expressed in the last position paper submitted about the Dec 20^th incident has been founded when the Aug 21 tragedy happened.

Thousands of vehicles ply the road to service the resorts and businesses there. Everyday people put their lives at stake negotiating dangerous bends and curves with almost NO visual of oncoming vehicles. The location of the accident on Aug 21 looks like such a position where oncoming vehicles cannot be seen until they are a very (very) close.

There has been also calls to re-design barriers using wire-rope barrier technology which would cushion vehicle’s impact, and then safely redirect the vehicle.

Who in Malaysia enforces safe road designs and updates requirements on safety design when improved technologies are available?

The EU and North America enforces the use ‘speed limiter’ in commercial vehicles and has proven to be effective in addressing large vehicle accidents and loss of lives.

Standards users represent the resentment of the general public towards all the relevant agencies, the bus operators, the highway operators and in this case the largest highlands resort operator for not being serious about improving road safety standards, commercial vehicle safety standards and compliance despite hundreds of people being injured and leaving scores dead from previous incidents.

We do not want anymore enquires. We demand to know the outcome of the investigation and recommendations thereof into the Dec 20, 2010 tragedy which claimed 28 lives when a double-decker express bus overturned coming from Cameron Highlands.

1. What were the causes of the accident and what were the recommendations?
2. How were these recommendations implemented and at what stages of implementation are they?
3. Who or rather which agency has been tasked to oversee the implementations of the recommendations?

We are now demanding a deadline for the implementation of recommendations by Miros and other technically competent agencies and also non-government agencies and civil societies.

We hope we are not trying to break records for the wrong reasons such as the worst express bus tragedy in Malaysian history – which is what we said after the accident which claimed 22 lives on the fateful Aug 13, 2007 at Bukit Gantang. But then again, we just did – 37 lives this time!

We as users of the service now demand the following for express buses:

1. Installation of travel data recorder – ‘tamper-proof’’’ , installation of GPS, Mandatory installation of speed limiters.
2. Employment of qualified and certified drivers.
3. All buses complying with UNECE, R66, R80 and R36 and other safety requirements.
4. One sole agency regulating all commercial vehicle specifications, road safety (for both private and commercial users), enforcing an improved Road Transport Act 1987 and legal actions based on impartial and expert input from agencies such as Miros. Licensing, permit and safety enforcement agencies for tour busses and heavy vehicles under one agency.
5. Improved road safety conditions – enhance primary role of the barriers to prevent vehicles from careening off into traffic coming in the opposite direction or into ravines
6. Improve integrity of road barriers, signs and construction materials.
7. Road design and construction approval based on current traveling requirements and road users. Requirements constantly improved with improved knowledge and technology
8. Accident reports accessible to interested stakeholders including civil society and non-government agencies.
9. Currently who investigates and compiles reports of previous accidents related to express buses?
10. Where can we as member of the general public or interested parties obtain access to accident investigations reports?
11. How do we know if the investigations are pending or closed and solved?
12. Investigation into root cause/s provides very crucial information to prevent future accidents related to express buses.
13. How do we know if lessons learnt (if any) from previous investigations are implemented?

Without proper/in-depth investigations of auto accidents, we cannot:

1. Follow up on recommendations
2. Request for regulatory improvements
3. Request or review and change current standards for bus structures, road conditions and road use behaviours.

The writer is president of FOMCA