LETTERS: It is the responsibility of bus drivers to see to it that passengers reach their destination safely.
During a recent trip to Turkiye, which is a very vast country, travelling from one place to another, at times, took between eight and 10 hours.
My tourist guide, Mehmet, apologised for having to make a few stops along the way, ranging from 20 minutes to an hour.
Mehmet reiterated that he was following procedures, as the bus driver had to have a number of mandated rest intervals. The safety of the passengers was of the utmost importance.
The guide also said that the stipulated time of rest taken by the bus driver was being monitored by the authorities. If the driver did not abide by the rules and regulations, he could be suspended and charged.
It was the same during my travels in New Zealand, where the driver of the bus, who was also the guide, mentioned the regulatory 20 minute breaks for him.
The safety of passengers is not taken lightly in the two countries that I have visited. The same should apply in our country, as passenger safety is paramount.
All too often, we hear about serious accidents involving long-haul buses due to drivers suffering from fatigue.
There were three incidents involving buses recently:
ON March 11 in Alor Gajah, an express bus driver was killed, and seven passengers were injured when the bus slammed into the rear of a trailer lorry.
ON March 29 on the Karak Highway, two people were killed and 14 others were injured after a bus overturned.
ON May 12 near Ipoh, a bus carrying 40 people overturned in an accident with a car on the North-South Expressway.
Strict rules should be enforced so that the bus drivers are well rested and passengers are safe.
THIAGARAJAN MATHIAPARANAM
Klang, Selangor
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times