Make seat belts in express buses a must, Govt urged

Make seat belts in express buses a must, Govt urged
IPOH: The Government should make it mandatory to wear seat belts in express buses to prevent injuries and deaths in the event of accidents.
Perak Gerakan publicity bureau chairman Choong Shean Yang said in a statement yesterday that the safety of bus passengers would be greatly enhanced if seat belts were used.
He said the latest incident in Tangkak, Johor, was a reminder that the Government should not delay implementing the wearing of seat belts in buses.
While bus operators had earlier objected citing cost, Choong said that argument was not valid any more.
Human life is more precious than the cost involved, Chong added.
Choong also called for the installation of speed governors on express buses to curb speeding.
In Sunday's 2am accident, 10 people, including a nine-year-old girl, were killed when the express bus they were travelling in skidded and crashed into a tree at KM146.5 of the North-South Expressway near Tangkak.
They were among 26 passengers and two drivers travelling to Johor Baru and Singapore from Perak.
Seven people died at the scene while the others died at the Sultanah Fatimah Specialist Hospital.