Move to improve safety on electric buses

China's transportation authorities have strengthened safety measures for drivers and passengers on city electric buses, adding a clause to a regulation on Monday that details how drivers should respond if they are attacked by a passenger.

Other safety measures were enforced on conventionally powered buses last year following a fatal bus plunge into the Yangtze River in Chongqing in October. 

The regulatory amendment released on the Ministry of Transport's website on Monday requires all electric bus drivers to pull over immediately if they are threatened or attacked by a passenger. They should also call the police and report the incident to their companies. 

When perpetrators try to run away, drivers should take note of their physical appearance and the direction in which they flee, so they can give the information to police. 

The incident in October, when a bus driver lost control after being attacked by a passenger, left 13 people dead, with two still missing and presumed dead. 

Based on black box recordings and other evidence, a female passenger surnamed Liu missed her stop and demanded that the driver, surnamed Ran, stop the bus immediately. When he refused, Liu hit him on the head with her cellphone and a scuffle ensued. Ran lost control of the bus, and it smashed through a bridge guardrail and plunged into the river in Wanzhou, Chongqing.