The members of the Assocation for the Improvement of Mass-Transit (TRANSIT) wishes to express their sympathy to the families of those who lost their lives and those who were injured in the recent tragic bus crash at km 443 of the North South Expressway.

Our thoughts, our hearts, and our prayers go out to everyone affected by this senseless tragedy. Every time this has happened and every time we respond to tragedies like this one we always hope that it will be the last time. Sadly, the tragedies never seem to end, and neither does the finger pointing.

As we read the news today, the CVLB is blaming the driver, the bus company, and the police for not taking action to prevent the drivers from operating the buses. This is because the CVLB only has the authority to cancel permits and not to enforce road rules or laws. The Road Transport Department will make excuses about why the Public Service Vehicle licenses were not withdrawn - despite the unsettled summonses. The police will probably say that it was someone else’s responsibility to check for summonses, and the Ministry of Works and the contractor who helped widen the highway will claim that they have no responsibility either.

After a few rounds of finger pointing the story will be forgotten. The injured will be treated and the dead will be buried and we will all move on and forget about what happened. This is what we did, what we are doing, and what we will do the next time. And so the cycle continues.

The real truth is that they have responsibility and they have shirked their responsibility and people have been injured and some have lost their lives - once again. Sometimes you have to ask if these people have a conscience or sense of right and wrong - if they are even aware of God.

Careless driving, poorly designed roads and unsafe buses run by profit-making bus operators are causing carnage on our roads. Our government seems to sit by and let these things happen without positive, real and long-lasting intervention.

Is life in Malaysia so cheap?

The Consumer’s Assocation of Penang has called for an independent public inquiry and TRANSIT echoes that call. TRANSIT also hopes that the dissolution of the Ministry of Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development will be a prelude to the dissolution of the Commercial Vehicles Licensing Board - the government agency that has brought the “entreprenurial” spirit into public transport and, together with other government agencies, failed millions of Malaysian road users and public transport users through poor management and inaction.

It is time for the director of the CVLB, Markiman Kobiran to step down and accept his failures and the failure of his agency. It is also time for Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Najib to take real action and fix these government agencies so that these tragedies once again.

And for the passengers on these express buses - please do not be ashamed to tell the driver to drive safely. Tell them “I want to live!” Shout it out loud in the bus and encourage your fellow passengers to do the same. You have the right to safety on the road - the government, the operators and the drivers have the responsibility to make sure that you are safe.
Sincerely

Moaz Yusuf Ahmad

on behalf of TRANSIT