Structural reset needed to end crashes plaguing bus industry, says expert

Free Malaysia Today

18 hours ago

Wan Agyl Wan Hassan says the frequency of bus crashes demands more than just a short-term fix. (Bernama pic)
PETALING JAYA : Malaysia's bus industry is in urgent need of structural reform to curb the number of fatal crashes plaguing the sector, according to transport consultant Wan Agyl Wan Hassan.
Earlier this week, Utusan Malaysia reported that more than 203 bus-related accidents were recorded in the country between January 2023 and May this year, resulting in 39 deaths, 68 serious injuries, and 197 minor injuries.
Wan Agyl, founder of transport think tank My Mobility Vision, said those statistics showed the country's road safety record was a 'national failure'.
'It demands more than a short-term fix,' he added.
Wan Agyl Wan Hassan.
He said the accidents, though varied in their specific causes, were ultimately the result of a transport system under severe stress from cost and manpower pressures, as well as regulatory blind spots.
'On one hand, there's growing demand; more people travelling, more school trips, more factory charters.
'On the other hand, there's a severe shortage of trained and full-time drivers, and margins so thin that operators are forced to take risks just to keep their businesses alive,' he told FMT.
Police have attributed the crashes to speeding, poor vehicle maintenance, mechanical failures, and pressure exerted on drivers by bus operators.
Yusri said driver error was the main factor behind these accidents, adding that many of them were fatigued from driving for too long without rest, while others had little experience operating buses or were under the influence of alcohol and drugs.
Wan Agyl called for a nationwide employment framework for drivers that ensured fair pay, regulated hours and career stability.
He said bus drivers are typically hired on 'loose' contracts rather than given permanent employment—unlike countries like Japan where commercial bus drivers are medically screened, trained and employed under a national system.
'In Singapore, the Land Transport Authority contracts bus services based on performance, not just price, ensuring safety standards are part of the business model.
'Even in Dubai, companies like Dubai Taxi Corporation run structured driver employment systems with safety and service built into their operations. Malaysia can do this, but we haven't,' he said.
Wan Agyl said a structural reset would involve digitising compliance so that all commercial buses have real-time GPS devices that record speed and distance.
To qualify for operating permits, bus companies should also be required to maintain detailed maintenance logs, he added.
'It means auditing and grading bus operators based on safety performance and disqualifying low-grade firms from winning government or tourism contracts.
'And it means finally enacting laws that hold company directors and operators liable — not just the man at the wheel—when systemic negligence leads to harm,' he said.
Wan Agyl called for the formation of a national bus safety task force under the transport ministry, with representation from the road transport department, Land Public Transport Agency, Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research, and industry players.
'There is no reason for transport safety to be fragmented when lives are at stake,' he said.