Letters | When bus crashes prove deadly, shouldn’t operators also face criminal responsibility?

Readers discuss deadly bus accidents in Hong Kong and how to prevent them, propose how schools can better tackle obesity, and thank ambulance crew

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The KMB double-decker bus overturned in Tai Wai shortly before midnight on November 18. Photo: Felix Wong

Published: 6:00am, 25 Nov 2021

A double-decker bus flips in Tai Wai, leaving one dead and 11 others injured, and much of the focus seems to be on the provision and wearing of seat belts on the upper deck instead of the deeper reasons the accident happened.

This is not an isolated incident. In 2017, another double-decker bus went off course near Sham Shui Po and mounted the pavement, killing three people and injuring 31 others. Labour unions at the time raised concerns over driver fatigue and working conditions, which remain valid issues.

Search any database and you can find many accidents involving franchised buses. The drivers cannot shirk their responsibility but what about their employers? Should they not also be held responsible? Have they provided adequate training? Are they drawing up schedules mindful of driver fatigue? Are drivers rewarded with rest time if they rush back to the terminus earlier? Are they penalised when they run late because of traffic conditions?

Like others involved in deadly accidents, the driver in the latest incident faces criminal charges. The bus companies, however, face civil liabilities that will be covered by insurance. It is time to explore if bus companies and their management should be subject to criminal responsibility – something that may require legal reform and changes to the law.

The government should recognise that it needs a bigger stick to wield against bus operators. Meanwhile, isn’t it high time for an independently commissioned report on the deeper issues with bus companies, and how their relationship with their drivers might be contributing to lethal accidents?

Mohan Datwani, Quarry Bay

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