This is a much discussed issue, especially with the recent tragedy at Slim River and the deaths of 3 young bright citizens (20, 21 and 23) of Malaysia.
I often wonder if having a system like we do in the UK would make much difference, in UK it’s know as the MOT or Ministry of Transport test.
It’s a test that EVERY vehicle has to go through every year after it’s 3 years old or more, if you don’t pass the test you can’t get your roadtax – if you can’t get your roadtax you can’t renew your insurance. Everything is linked together.
If there’s any failures on your test you have 10 days to retest, if not your vehicle is marked as unfit for the road, it’s a fairly cheap test at £50.35 for a regular car but I think it really helps.
Australia has a similar scheme and so does the US I believe.
Some may say the developing economy of Malaysia can’t support such a scheme as many people can’t afford to keep their cars or buses in safe working conditions.
But is it really worth risking people’s lives for? Surely these deathtrap cars shouldn’t be on the road.
Buses and public service vehicles should be strictly monitored for safety along with the drivers, 13 outstanding summons? For someone that is essentially in charge of 30 peoples lives?
Any cars without roadtax that are parked on public property (note you don’t even have to be DRIVING the car) can be towed away and crushed, yes not impounded but destroyed.
This is not the first incident with a bus in Malaysia, and it surely won’t be the last until things start to change. Drivers must be paid and trained properly, they must be responsible and not overworked.
The buses and vehicles used to transport people around the country must be well maintained.
I have to say personally I feel quite safe on the LRT, but the buses in Malaysia in general are horrible. The only ones I feel safe on are those luxury buses which are very well maintained and have well trained and rested drivers (Plusliner, Aerobus etc).
But those aren’t exactly affordable for the average student and are privately run, so not really considered as public transport.
If you feel that this is an important issue there’s an online petition you can sign here which is going to be presented to the Ministry of Transport.
Bus Crash No More
You can also read more about the issues here:
https://buscrashnomore.blogspot.com
Sadlly it’s most likely the bright young students of Malaysia that are going to be endangered as they take the cheap buses from city to city during festive seasons and study breaks.
This is something which can and must be addressed.
