SPOTLIGHT: Website receives 10,000 signatures

News Straits Times 19th April 2009

KUALA LUMPUR: When Lee Nian Ning and two others died in a bus crash in Slim River last year, their family and friends set up a website called 'Bus Crash No More'.

They set up a petition drive on the website which netted nearly 10,000 signatures.

Their petition letter, addressed to the minister of transport, opened with the line:

"We, the concerned youths of Malaysia express anger over the Slim River Bus Crash incident that claimed the lives of Lee Nian Ning and two others on Jan 25 2008.

"This is not the first time that such an incident has occurred. Despite numerous complaints and public uproar in the past, incidents like this continue to occur.
"It was reported that the driver's company had 13 summonses on that bus itself. We find it unacceptable that such a company could have operated that vehicle on the road."

There is a blogroll where dozens of bloggers wrote their messages of condolences for her.

While in newspaper reports, Lee was described as just a 21-year-old victim of a bus crash, in the blogs, a picture of the young, exuberant girl emerges from the numerous posts made by friends.

Abby, a schoolmate, wrote: "She had everything going for her. Supermodel gorgeous, super smart, impressive resume, a supportive family, a doting long-time boyfriend, and many, many friends who loved her to bits.

"Who knew when she packed her bags for the trip to KL, that she was going on an entirely different unexpected trip?

"Who knew that when she said goodbye to her family that day, it would be her final farewell?"

Express bus rams into car, killing mom and children

BATU PAHAT: A mother and her two young children were burnt to death after an express bus rammed into their car and set it aflame at KM16 of Jalan Kluang here on Thursday.

Siti Kalsom Borhan, 35, Sahira Aisha, six, and Sahira Aliya Hafiz, three, died on the spot. Their bodies have been sent to the Batu Pahat Hospital for a post-mortem.

The 46-year-old bus driver and his eight passengers escaped unhurt.

Batu Pahat OCPD Asst Comm Ibrahim Aris said both vehicles were heading toward Kluang from Batu Pahat at 11.50am when the accident took place.

He added that the bus driver was overtaking a vehicle on his left when he rammed into the victim’s vehicle, which had stopped at the centre of the road to turn right.

“The impact caused the car to be dragged for about 15m,” he said.

ACP Ibrahim also said that the driver, who hails from Pasir Gudang, is expected to be charged in court Friday under Section 41 (1) of the Road Transport Act 1987.

He added that investigations also showed that the bus driver has six prior summonses for various traffic offences.

Central system on bus drivers’ history needed

PETALING JAYA: Bus operators have asked for an easier way to check the background of drivers and suggested a centralised system to check for summonses issued to reckless drivers.

Pan Malaysian Bus Operators Association president Datuk Ashfar Ali said a real-time central database should be set up quickly to allow the operators to see their drivers and potential employees’ summons history.

“Now, the summonses from the Road Transport Department (JPJ), Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board (CVLB) and police are put into separate systems,” he told The Star yesterday.

Because of the lack of update on the database, bus operators found it difficult to trace the summonses issued to errant drivers.

“How would I know when a driver has committed a traffic offence?” he said, adding that the police had even sent notices to some operators and asked for the records of their drivers for the past five years.

“I have told the Government about this many times through press statements and meetings but no one seems to be listening,” he said. Summons records of individual drivers were often “wiped out” as soon as the summonses were paid.

Ashfar also urged the CVLB to blacklist errant drivers and not the vehicles owned by the bus operators.

“They blacklist the vehicles and not the drivers. This prevents the companies from renewing road tax while the drivers get off scot-free,” he said.

JPJ director-general Datuk Solah Mat Hassan, however, said that the issue was the behaviour of the drivers and whether they had outstanding summonses, not how many summonses they had.

“It’s totally up to the bus operators whether to employ them or not.

“Bus operators must check their drivers’ background and past experiences before hiring. If they want a summons history, all they have to do is check with the JPJ,” he said.

Solah agreed with CVLB director Datuk Markiman Kobiran’s suggestion that bus operators check the background of their drivers to prevent tragedies like Monday’s crash on the North-South Expressway which left six people dead.

6 die, 5 injured in express bus crash

RAWANG: Five passengers and the driver of an express bus died while five others were injured after the bus skidded, hit the divider and overturned at Km443 of the North-South Expressway near here Monday morning.

Police said the accident occurred at about 5.30am after the double-decker bus, carrying 34 passengers from Changlun, Kedah, went out of control.

The dead were Muhamad Ismail, 27, of Kampung Lubuk Batu, Jitra; Mohamad Fauzi Awang, 57, Kampung Siam, Alor Setar; Md Jaheer Mohamad, 33, Kodiang; Mohd Yusril Zakaria, 27, Kuala Muda, Kedah, C.Magentharan, 26, Kelang, and bus driver Zulkhibri Md Saad, 35, of Kubang Ulu, Bukit Mertajam.

All the dead and the injured were sent to the Sungai Buluh Hospital. - Bernama

Express buses encouraged to install GPS

IPOH: Express bus companies are encouraged to install the Global Positioning System (GPS) on all its buses to monitor their movements and location, Perak Road Transport Department director Md Yasir Mastakim said.

Md Yasir said the GPS would help deter bus drivers from committing offences on the road and minimise road accidents. "With the system, drivers would automatically observe self-discipline and follow the rules," said Md Yasir at the launch of Sri Maju Sarata Ekspres Sdn Bhd's double-decker buses here Thursday.

"The GPS will allow bus companies to monitor the location and the speed of their buses from their headquarters," he added. Md Yasir said the system could also help track down how many times their drivers have broken the law.

He added that most bus companies in foreign countries have installed the system in their buses.

Md Yasir said express bus companies should also advise passengers to fasten the seatbelts available on their buses.

"Although the regulation to wear seatbelt on buses has not been enforced, all passengers should be encourage to fasten their safety belts for their safety.

He noted that the regulation would be implemented and is pending approval from the government.

Earlier, Md Yasir launched Sri Maju's two double-decker express buses.

The buses, which started operations Thursday, would ply the Ipoh - Haadyai and Ipoh - Singapore routes.