Ensure safety of passengers at all costs

No compromise on safety for any reason

The Road Transport Department (JPJ), police, Commercial Vehicles Licensing Board (CLVB), Puspakom and Immigration Department should be commended for swinging into action under Ops Bersih to check on buses and drivers at major stations and along highways following the Bukit Gantang bus crash recently.

This has created fear among errant bus drivers and owners of such buses causing many of them to flee or cease operation. There is now a worry that this could affect the coming balik kampung rushes for Hari Raya because there might not be enough drivers and buses to meet the surge in demand during the festive period.

The authorities have no choice but to keep up the pressure to ensure errant drivers and buses that are not roadworthy are kept off the roads permanently. The festive season may be around the corner but that shouldn’t be an excuse to let down on stringent enforcement of the laws governing public transport. The safety of the commuters is of paramount importance and that should never be compromised for whatever reasons.

While Ops Bersih and others like it are important and necessary, they are just short term measures to ensure the safety of public transport. While they are underway, long term measures should also be introduced to maintain an acceptable level of safety all times.

Renewal of driving licenses of bus drivers, road tax for buses and permits for bus operators should more stringent and must strictly based on the provisions of the rules governing them. Complacency and irresponsibility on the part of officers tasked with the job must be severely dealt with without fear or favour. Those who flout the laws must be made to face the music and that will also act as a deterrent for others intending to commit the same offense.

The existence of corruption in these areas of enforcement should be checked and top priority given to stamp out this enemy of the nation that, if allowed to continue, will ruin our aspirations to become a developed state in the near future.

Dr.Chris Anthony


Comments

It takes death to make the local machinery moving. What a sad joke. After all these years, they tell us they can do nothing as they have no jurisdiction over each other deparment. 50 years of progress, 50 years of preparation, 50 years of planning , all boiled down to this. TAK TAU and TAK BOLEH. Sad.

By Dr_Aoi, 3-Sep-2007