As the news put it, the Bukit Gantang crash was an accident that could have been avoided. I summarized the story below ..

20 lives were sacrificed while 9 others critically injured in the express bus accident bound for Alor Star. It was most possibly due to a human error as the bus driver could have fallen asleep while driving at high speed. The accident occurred at 4.20am. Some of the passengers got thrown out of the bus after the roof was ripped off due to the impact.

The government labelled the incident as the worst crash in the country’s history.

Both the bus driver and the bus itself has various summons, with some still pending. Imagine that, you being driven around in a faulty bus and by a driver that often commit traffic offenses. Its a scary thought !

Meanwhile, express bus drivers have stepped up to tell their side of the story. They are currently subjected to the “No Trip, No Pay” rule. This means that if they don’t conduct (drive) a trip, they dont get paid. Their salary is very meager, about RM20 per trip for a 4 to 4 hours drive. One fellow who worked for 17 years mentioned that he could not afford to buy a house, linking it to his low income. Bus drivers needed to make at least 3 trips per day, driving more than 10 hours, just so that they can earn enough in a month.

My condolences to the family of the those whose lives were gone. I urge that the Government do something. Bus drivers that are hired should be inspected, including criminal records and traffic offenses. They should also be given a reasonable salary plus allowance for long distance trips. If bus companies are more considerate and bus drivers are well taken care of, i suppose that problems arising from overworked and sleepy drivers will not or at least minimally happen.

In addition, i want to say that if you ever feel sleepy while driving, do take some time to rest at a proper resting place before continuing your journey. Put your safety and that of others. Its more precious than you’ll ever know.