BUS ACCIDENTS (Measures to minimise)

Parliament of Singapore · 26 February 1973 · 3rd Parliament

Official Report, 26 February 1973, Vol 32, Issue 10 · Open in the reader (summaries, search, filters)

Ang Kok PengMohd. Ariff Bin Suradi

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

1

Tuan Haji Mohd. Ariff Bin Suradi asked the Minister for Communications what measures he is taking or proposes to take to minimise serious bus accidents.

The Minister of State for Communications (Dr Ang Kok Peng) (for the Minister for Communications): Mr Speaker, Sir, during 1972, there was a total number of 3,982 serious and fatal accidents involving motor vehicles. Of this number of accidents, only 348 or 8.74 per cent involved public buses. This figure is not disproportionately high if one were to consider that each public bus plies along the road continuously for almost 18 hours a day. In terms of percentage of the total fleet, the accident rate is less than 2 per cent. Mr Speaker, Sir, I have handed to the Clerk of Parliament, for circulation to Members of Parliament, Annex (See cols. 483-6) A and B giving detailed information of statistics showing the number of the public buses as compared with all other motor vehicles involved in serious and fatal accidents, and statistics showing the number of serious and fatal accidents involving public buses as compared with the total bus fleet, respectively.

The Ministry of Communications, however, is not taking a complacent view of this matter and will take steps to further reduce the number of serious accidents involving public buses.

The most important step is the training courses conducted by the Public Service Vehicles Training School to raise the standards of our drivers and conductors. To-date 2,106 bus drivers and 1,806 bus conductors had successfully completed their training and were issued vocational licences. A refresher course for bus drivers will be introduced in April 1973.

Another measure undertaken was the establishment of an Enforcement Squad within the Registry of Vehicles on 1st April, 1972. The main function of this Squad is to ensure that we get a more disciplined and organised public transport service in the Republic.

Annex to Oral Answers on Bus Accidents (cols.440-1) (Cols 0483-0486)

Source: Singapore Parliament Official Report (Hansard) for 26 February 1973. Republished on SGParliament.