Speed bumps urged for site of accident
More should be done to curb speeding at the Nam Pin Wai roundabout on New Hiram's Highway where 18 people died yesterday in Sai Kung's worst traffic accident in five years.
Nearby residents said speed bumps, instead of just road signs, should be installed at the roundabout's entrance points to make vehicles slow down from a long downhill section, where drivers were inclined to drive fast.
A bus stop at the roundabout, just 6 metres from the crash site, was another concern, with legislators and district councillors saying it should be moved to a safer place.
Secretary for Transport and Housing Eva Cheng said the site for the bus stop had been chosen after public consultation and a Transport Department study.
Police were still investigating the cause of yesterday's accident, but there were suggestions the bus was travelling fast at the time.
The highway between the roundabout and Clearwater Bay Road has been widened and straightened in an attempt to make the meandering road safer for motorists. However, that has also allowed vehicles to travel at greater speeds.
In the first quarter of this year, police conducted 32 speed checks near the roundabout and prosecuted 519 drivers for speeding.
Transport Department senior engineer Tang Wai-leung said the road's design was fine and there were signs reminding drivers to engage low gear to reduce their speed before reaching the roundabout.
But Sai Kung district councillor Christine Fong Kwok-shan said speed bumps or a fixed speeding camera at the spot would probably be more useful.
Legislator Raymond Ho Chung-tai, who represents the engineering sector, said the government should require non-franchised bus operators to retrofit seat belts in more than 1,000 coaches in Hong Kong, in addition to the public buses and minibuses which were already required by law to do so.
'The better and more well-paved the roads are, the faster the drivers tend to go,' Mr Ho said. 'In the end, it's always the seat belts that are crucial to protect the passengers from accidents.'
The roundabout has been the scene of 12 accidents since January last year, including one in September when an oil truck flipped over and slid for more than 10 metres before crashing into a noise barrier after its brakes failed. The driver and a passenger sustained only slight injuries.
Ng's Brothers Travel - which owns the vehicle involved in yesterday's accident, said it was only seven years old and had passed an inspection less than a month ago.
The Legislative Council transport panel and Sai Kung District Council will discuss traffic arrangements and the design of the highway today.
