BUS STOPS AND INTERCHANGES (Measures to prevent accidents)

Encik Harun bin A. Ghani asked the Minister for Communications (a) what are the preventive measures taken by the Singapore Bus Service (1978) Ltd to protect persons from being knocked down by SBS buses at bus stops and interchanges and (b) how many persons were knocked down by SBS buses at bus stops or interchanges since 1990.

The Minister for Communications (Mr Mah Bow Tan): Mr Speaker, Sir, SBS has a Traffic Safety Unit (TSU) to administer a traffic safety programme which covers all aspects of its bus operations. This incudes requiring all its drivers to undergo a safe driving and road safety training course before they are allowed to drive buses on the road; monitoring the safety records of SBS drivers closely; and deploying traffic safety inspectors at bus interchanges as well as on the roads to check on its drivers to ensure that they drive safely and do not speed.

SBS also has a programme to put up reinforced concrete bollards at end-on berths in interchanges as a safety measure. It conducts regular views of such safety measures together with the relevant authorities such as the Registry of Vehicles, Traffic Police and the Public Works Department.

The Member has also asked the number of accidents since 1990. There were a total of seven accidents involving SBS buses at bus stops, bus terminals and bus interchanges, of which three were fatal. No one was injured in the other four cases.