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Jalan Duta bus accident should be a wake-up call to the authorities    Media Statement by John Chung The express bus accident at Jalan Duta early yesterday morning which resulted in the death of the driver and various injuries to 28 passengers, three of whom were seriously hurt, should be a wake-up call to the authorities and has again highlighted the need for stiffer measures to ensure the safety of bus passengers.  The mishap came on the heels of the latest New Sunday Times special report headlined “Bus drivers living in the fast lane” which pinpointed the reckless tendency bus drivers appear to have.  It is surely a relief to all that no passengers were killed in the accident where the bus spun out of control when trying to avoid an oncoming car and crashed into a tree. Nevertheless, the fact that serious injuries were caused and the driver of the bus killed is enough cause for concern.  Although the cause of the accident has yet to be identified, the nature and impact of the crash seems to suggest that the bus driver must have been driving at a relatively high speed to have lost control of the vehicle although it would appear that the driver of the other vehicle (now under remand) was also in the wrong by shooting out from an adjoining road to Jalan Duta, forcing the bus off its track. An eyewitness interviewed on the national TV news report last night had pointed out that the bus was traveling at a high speed when the accident occurred.  It is common knowledge that many tour and express bus drivers maneuver their buses at break-neck speed along roads and highways. They are constantly on the rush in order to earn extra commissions due to the low wages paid to them by bus companies. Moreover, the long working hours endured by many drivers and the lack of rest put them in a state of fatigue and affect their level of concentration and alertness when they are on the wheel.  A recent check on express and tour buses conducted by the Road Transport Department (RTD) officers at the Senawang-Ayer Keroh Highway toll had found that 90% of such vehicles had faulty black boxes. This clearly shows that the black-box measure proposed by the government has not been effective to check the problem of speeding and reckless driving amongst errant bus drivers.  It is therefore high time the authorities impose stiffer measures on bus companies and bus drivers. Stringent checks and penalties must be imposed on bus operators which use buses that are not road-worthy and neglect the welfare of their drivers. In addition, bus drivers who drive recklessly without regard for the safety of their passengers must be subjected to harsh penalties.  The RTD, bus operators and bus drivers alike, owe a duty to the public to ensure that passengers of tour and express of buses have the assurance of the highest standards of safety when traveling on board. (6/11/2002) * John Chung,  DAP National Publicity Bureau Assistant Secretary