HOW many times have we read about accidents involving buses in the last few years? I felt sad when I read the news about the bus which rammed 10 other vehicles on the North-South Expressway a few days ago. According to the police, the bus driver had nine outstanding traffic summonses issued over the last four years while the bus was issued with a total of 63 traffic summonses. The police also confirmed that the brakes on the vehicle were faulty. As always, the focus will be on the bus driver but then it is always easy to point a finger at someone when something goes awry. But what is the root cause? What were the deterrent actions taken on the company that owns the bus with 63 traffic summonses? Why did the company employ a driver who had nine outstanding summonses? Would the authority concerned care to check the maintenance records of the ill-fated bus? I would suggest for the police to be more proactive. By now they should know the notorious danger spots/black spots and proper measures should be instituted around these areas. By the way, are the authorities aware of the psychology or attitude of motorists before and/or after being stuck in a massive traffic jam? On those dangerous stretches, what has the Malaysian Highway Authority done to make them safer? Summonses will surely increase the Government’s coffers but I believe the financial toll of accidents is much higher than income derived from the summonses if we consider the costs to the government and also the motorists. The consequences to the motorists include repair and medical costs, opportunity lost and loss of “no claim discount” on their insurance premiums. This does not include loss of precious lives, God forbid. I have heard that we need the Automated Awareness Safety System (Awas) which is an integration of the AES and Kejara points demerit system. It’s better late than never to implement it but the question of enforcement may raise its ugly head. I think the relevant authorities should learn from the Inland Revenue Board which transferred the responsibility of calculating income tax to the taxpayers. In this case, the bus companies are the major players and responsibi­lity should be heavily weighed on them. If need be, their licences should be revoked. In our march to developed nation status, we should change our approach in handling traffic/ accident cases. As they say, prevention is better than cure. I do give credit to the authorities for taking action against illegal cyber outlets. We read about raids on such premises and seizure of modified computers. But the reality is these outlets will be back in business in a jiffy. Again, what is the root cause of their ability to spring back to action again? Let us consider the depth of thought given to analyse a root cause. Polystyrene will be banned in the Federal Territories with effect from Jan 1, 2017. The ho­nourable minister’s reasoning is that it is harmful to the environment. Last September, the New York Supreme Court overturned New York City’s ban on plastic foam containers and packaging as there is evidence that recycling is a feasible option. Even the Food and Drug Administration has determined that polystyrene is safe for use in contact with food. Experts have put forward facts and figures to show that it is less harmful compared to paper boxes which contribute more to carbon emissions, energy used, weight of wastage and transport costs. Ultimately, it is the consumers who will bear these costs. It seems we are banning one type of product and replacing it with another that does not solve the problem. We have seen many cases where decisions are driven without scientific support, environmental and cost considerations. What Malaysia needs now are smart decisions which take into consideration views from all stakeholders and are sustainable from the perspective of time, cost and the environment.

SALEH MOHAMMED Kuala Lumpur

Source: The Star Online