ROAD SAFETY SENSE OF HEAVY VEHICLE DRIVERS (Improvement)

Mr Yeo Choo Kok asked the Minister for Communications and Information, in view of the recent spate of accidents involving buses of the Singapore Bus Service and other big vehicles, (a) whether the Registry of Vehicles will request the operators of these vehicles to introduce new and additional safety measures to safeguard the safety of commuters and other road users; (b) whether the ROV will conduct courses to improve the road manners and to enhance the sense of social responsibility of these drivers; and (c) whether the ROV, together with the Traffic Police, will introduce stringent and corrective measures, including heavy penalties, to deal with inconsiderate and irresponsible drivers of all vehicles.

Mr J.B. Jeyaretnam asked the Minister for Communications and Information what steps his Ministry proposes to take to ensure the safety of passengers on buses operated without any conductors on board.

Mr Ho Kah Leong (for the Minister for Communications and Information): Mr Speaker, Sir, as Question No. 5 and Question No. 6 deal with the same subject, with your permission, may I answer them together.

Sir, the recent accidents involving SBS buses are currently under investigation by the Traffic Police to determine the causes of the accidents. As soon as the investigations are completed, the ROV and the Traffic Police will do a thorough review of the need for additional safety devices on buses. No effort will be spared to make public transport as safe as is humanly possible.

To do that effectively, we must ascertain the cause or causes of the accidents and take the necessary action to prevent their occurrence. All possible measures which will enhance safety, especially for passengers on buses, will be looked at and implemented where appropriate.

ROV conducts training courses which include lessons on passenger safety and defensive driving. Bus companies are also conducting their own courses to ensure that safety is not just taught but practised on an on-going basis by their drivers. They should also monitor the performance of their drivers and take corrective action, when necessary, to discipline inconsiderate and bad drivers. Bus companies should also help educate passengers on safety on the bus.

Sir, the ROV and Traffic Police work closely to ensure that inconsiderate and irresponsible drivers are caught and penalized. The Traffic Police have a system of suspending the driving licences of those with a bad driving record. Such drivers are also encouraged to attend defensive driving courses to correct their driving habits. The ROV suspends or revokes the vocational licences of those with a particularly bad record.

Sir, each year, about 250-300 people are killed on our roads. As a people, we should strive for total safety on our roads to reduce this number to a minimum. If an accident should occur, the Traffic Police will spare no effort to investigate its cause and take measures to prevent its future occurrence.

Mr Yeo Choo Kok (Delta): ( In Mandarin): Sir, I would like the Senior Parliamentary Secretary to answer the following questions.

(1) whether the relevant authority intends to request the bus companies to deploy more conductors and ticket inspectors along the routes where there are many passengers and during peak hours, to help bus drivers ensure passengers' safety on embarking or alighting of buses;

(2) whether bus companies, particularly the SBS, have made use of public media, the SBC and the press, to systematically and regularly educate the passengers about safety on the buses, alighting or embarking on the buses;

(3) whether the ROV has suspended the licences of bus drivers, temporarily or permanently, for causing bus accidents, and what are the figures;

(4) whether there are any preventive courses to be conducted for bus drivers, and how many are attending at present.

Mr Ho Kah Leong: (In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, to answer these questions about bus conductors, I think we should realize that whether or not there is a bus conductor on board, accidents can also happen. In the past when there were bus conductors, likewise, accidents also occurred. Here, I would like to tell the Member concerned that OMO bus is not unique to Singapore. It has been practised in many countries in the world, for instance, Hong Kong, Japan, France, Holland, Germany and even the US. In these developed countries where the OMO bus system is in operation, the safety record is good. Here again, I would like to stress that bus safety is not only the driver's responsibility or the conductor's responsibility, but the passengers have also a certain responsibility to bear. Therefore, it is the responsibility common to all concerned.

However, Sir, if the investigation into the bus accidents concludes that such accidents were due to the absence of the conductors, then my Ministry will definitely convey the good suggestion of the hon. Member for Delta to the bus companies concerned for consideration.

As regards whether the public media have helped in carrying out publicity to educate the public on safety aspects, I would say yes, as it is a social duty. The National Safety Council, the Traffic Police and the public media have all conducted regular publicity programmes through films or in their literature publicizing road safety. Even in today's Straits Times, you can see pictures and articles teaching the public about how to use the expressways safely.

The next question is about the revocation and suspension of licences of bus drivers who have had records of accidents. Here I have records showing that for the period March 1983 to the end of 1985 no bus driver's licence had been cancelled. Temporarily suspended licences numbered 180.

As regards preventive or defensive driving courses for the same period, 154 drivers have attended this course.

Mr Chiam See Tong (Potong Pasir): The Senior Parliamentary Secretary has said that the ROV is doing everything humanly possible to make our roads safe. Can he please tell this House how much money was expended last year to educate the public in respect of road safety?

Mr Ho Kah Leong: ( In Mandarin): Sir, educating the public about road safety is not the duty of my Ministry alone. Other Ministries and bus and transport companies and operators also have the responsibility. So I am sorry I cannot give the figures requested.

Mr Jeyaretnam: May I ask the Senior Parliamentary Secretary three supplementary questions, Mr Speaker, Sir? Did I hear the Senior Parliamentary Secretary say glibly that even with conductors, one would still have accidents resulting to passengers on the buses? Has the Ministry or the Registry any figures on accidents to passengers before conductors were done away with and after conductors were done away with? We must have figures. Does the Senior Parliamentary Secretary realize that we must have figures to support this before he can make any statement on this?

Secondly, does he not accept that the safety of passengers, particularly school children, on buses must be placed fairly with the staff operating the buses, the driver and the conductor? Does he not think that it is unreasonable to place the responsibility on school children?

Thirdly, will the Ministry propose to have perhaps special buses for school children manned by a conductor during the peak hours when children go to school and when they return from school? That might at least ensure the safety of children travelling on SBS buses.

Mr Ho Kah Leong: (In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, just now in my reply to questions by the Member for Delta, I said that after the recent accidents have been investigated into and if it is found that the causes were due to the absence of a bus conductor, then my Ministry will not hesitate to request the bus companies concerned to consider employing bus conductors on the buses.

As regards safety of school children, this is of utmost concern to my Ministry. Does the Member for Anson not know that almost all of our schools have school buses? How ignorant can the Member be!

Mr Jeyaretnam: Sir, would the Senior Parliamentary Secretary outline to this House - he says I am ignorant - what steps the Registry of Vehicles has taken to ensure the safety of school children travelling on buses? Does he not realize that it is overloading the driver with responsibilities, and that it is sometimes almost impossible to ensure the safety of his passengers if the bus is overcrowded, as it often is, during peak hours?

Mr Ho Kah Leong: (In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, perhaps he did not hear me out. I said that at present, for most schools, there are special school buses carrying school children. If there are more than 30 students on the bus, then there will be at least one attendant. I want to stress here that the safety of the school children is the question uppermost in our minds. We pay very great attention to this matter. I hope the Member for Anson would not try to make use of the opportunity to scoop up some political capital out of this issue. Before he asks any question, I would like him to get the facts correct first.

Mr Bernard Chen: Question No. 7, Sir.

Mr Chiam See Tong: Sir, a supplementary question, just to follow up on my last question.

Mr Speaker: I am afraid the Member for Clementi has already asked his Question No. 7.

Mr Chiam See Tong: Just one supplementary question, Sir.

Mr Speaker: No. He stood up first. You are too late.