[top: An SMRT bus carrying 20 passengers crashed into a lorry, overturning it at a junction in Clementi. Four were injured.]
By Tony Ng
Bus accidents (and incidents) seem to have been on the rise recently.
In a recent letter to The Straits Times forum, a reader highlighted yet another bus accident.
According to the reader (letter below), the bus driver took a wrong turn and along the way, collided with a car. But not before running over a kerb.
And on Jan 24, an SMRT bus collided with a trailer in front of it. The impact was so great that several rows of seats were ripped from their bolts. The bus driver and 15 passengers were sent to the hospital.
As public transport ridership increases, these 'lost and dangerous' bus drivers, if not properly trained, will be a menace to their passengers and drivers on the roads.
Even as we dedicate road lanes to the exclusive use of buses, it has to translate into a corresponding increase in the standard of service for public commuters.
If we have to stop and consider our safety before boarding a public bus, then I'm afraid there is something wrong with our public transport system.
Rash bus driver endangered passengers
LAST Friday at about noon, I boarded SMRT bus service 985 (TIB 917 M) at the bus stop near Goh & Goh Building In Upper Bukit Timah Road.
I had intended to take the bus to the stop near Woodsville Flyover, but ended up with more than I bargained for.
Midway through the journey via the Pan-Island Expressway (PIE) towards Changi, the driver wrongly entered the slip road to Stevens Road. Realising his mistake, he slowed down and looked around. An elderly man subsequently approached him and offered directions.
However, the driver surprised the 10-or-so passengers by entering the nearby Esso petrol station. He proceeded to exit by the other side, only to shock everyone by colliding with an oncoming car.
After 20 minutes of verbal exchange with the driver of the car, and not a word to us passengers, the driver decided to continue with the journey. Not without running over a kerb though.
Once we were back on the PIE towards Changi, seemingly with the worst behind us, the driver astounded us further by almost picking the wrong exit, again. Fortunately, the helpful man was there to point out his error, but he soon found himself banging into a handrail as a result of the driver's sudden braking.
To my relief, I eventually reached my intended bus stop, as well as my meeting place, albeit 40 minutes late.
I am particularly upset because this driver neglected the welfare of his passengers. Granted, we all are human and make mistakes, but instead of retrieving the situation in a safe manner, he endangered our lives.
What is more saddening is that he did not bother to say anything to us - perhaps a sorry, or anything to make us feel better as we were all shaken.
Plus, it did not seem he knew much English, or traffic directions for that matter. He needed help from the good samaritan, who did not get a word of thanks.
I hope there are no other bus drivers who are road hazards like him. More important, I hope SMRT adopts strict practices regarding training for its drivers and safety on the roads.
I have never had anything so negative to say about public transport, but this instance went too far.
Keith Tyrone Neubronner
This article was first published in The Straits Times on Jan 29, 2009.
Accident scene at the junction of Upper Thomson Road and Sin Ming Avenue. Mr Lee was
flung off his bike when he collided with an SMRT bus on Dec 14, 2008. He hit the
windscreen of the bus on impact, causing it to shatter. Read more here.
An accident involving an SMRT bus and a private bus resulted in 15 people hospitalised.
The windscreen of this SMRT bus was cracked after a collision near Clementi MRT station
on Dec 3, 2008. Seven bus passengers were injured and five of them were later taken to
hospital. The accident involved two public buses and two cars.
