Last month's horrific traffic accident near Tsung Tsai Yuen in Tai Po, where a bus crashed onto its side, killing 19 passengers and seriously injuring scores more, has triggered renewed debate about what can be done to make bus travel in Hong Kong safer and more pleasant.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor has rightly appointed an independent investigation committee, to be led by Justice Michael Lunn, vice-president of the Court of Appeal, to determine what really caused this recent dreadful carnage, with suspected speeding being one possible factor (based on the accounts of several of the surviving passengers). That investigation would usefully be widened to review all the other factors contributing to safer bus travel, and make the appropriate recommendations for improvements.

In many other jurisdictions, new bus drivers are well-trained enough to become a byword for driving safely, and for steadfastly avoiding any risky moves. Sadly, too few of Hong Kong's bus drivers are trained up to achieve that level of safety on our roads. Every regular bus passenger here will have experienced the discomfort, and indeed danger, of travelling on a bus which is driven too fast: That is a common experience, illegal though it may be.

Speeding was a likely cause of several earlier fatal bus accidents here. As we wait for the results of the review, which are expected to be available in nine months, I feel obliged to offer some ideas on what the bus companies can now do; as well as proposing steps which could be taken by passengers to make bus travel safer and more comfortable.

In each bus an emergency number for passengers to call should be prominently displayed so they can immediately alert the bus company if a driver is speeding, and can stop the bus before speeding results in a deadly crash. Furthermore, each bus should be fitted with an automatic system which cuts off the engine if the safe speed limit is exceeded.

Each year the proportion of infirm elderly people increases. The number of special-needs seats on our public transport is already manifestly inadequate to provide easily accessed seating to many of those passengers really needing it. Able-bodied and younger passengers can help by not occupying these "special needs" seats and by giving up their regular seats to those with an obviously greater need. Yet we can still see younger people hogging the special seats intended for the elderly, infirm and pregnant, often feigning sleep so they don't see (or care about) those arriving passengers who should have priority for such seats.

Another common nuisance on bus rides is the loud broadcast of music over the vehicle's public-address system making it impossible for passengers to be with their own thoughts. Likewise, the volume of television screens installed overhead is often set at a decibel level that constitutes noise pollution. Considering that few of the passengers pay any attention to it, and many just want to shut their eyes and catch up on some rest, the bus companies should consider removing the music boxes and television screens from their buses.

On the other hand, those passengers listening to their own carry-on music or talking loudly on their i-Phones should keep the volume down. Such passenger-provided noise pollution is a common irritant on our packed Hong Kong buses. The bus companies should consider putting up reminders against such inconsiderate and selfish behavior inside their buses.

The number of hours of work required of our bus drivers is another factor that could be usefully investigated by the panel. With so many lives in their hands, working hours should never be so onerous that our bus drivers become drowsy with fatigue on the job.

Passenger comfort, as well as safety - including that of those left standing or wobbling in the aisles - is a factor which needs to be considered far more in the training of new bus drivers. For example, many of them accelerate much too quickly, or jerkily, thus throwing strap-hangers off balance. Their training should focus on providing a smoother ride for their passengers, by gaining speed gradually, not in sudden sharp bursts. When stuck in slow-moving traffic jams, too many drivers shake up their passengers by jumping ahead aggressively, then slamming on the brakes. Again, providing smoother transitions from stop to start should become a more important aspect of their training.

And more could be done by bus companies themselves, in terms of having bus inspectors in plain clothes posing as passengers to help to ensure each driver performs his or her tasks in a safe way, and in a manner where passenger comfort and safety is taken fully into account in the way the bus is maneuvered.

All these proposed measures could serve to greatly enhance the safety and comfort of bus travel in Hong Kong. They should be the subject of inquiry by the special investigators looking in to this horrific tragedy.

(HK Edition 03/15/2018 page9)