Vincent Ong experienced one in January. His overnight bus to Kuala Lumpur hit a motorbike and caught fire. Till today, he’s traumatised by how a teenage girl was burnt alive.
Why do these accidents happen? To kick off our investigation, Talking Point host Diana Ser and I travelled to KL on an overnight bus.
We were surprised to find quite a few safety lapses. For instance, when Diana casually asked our driver if there was a co-driver on board, he answered with agitation: “No, don’t have. Why?” But according to the law, bus rides longer than 300km, like the Singapore-KL route, require a co-driver.
To understand how common these lapses are, we hit up bus drivers at a carpark where they take their breaks. It was challenging because many were not willing to share their thoughts on camera or were in a rush. We were lucky to find two. One shared how speeding leads to more accidents at night. Another said he sometimes drives 15 to 17 hours a day, especially during festive periods.
Our investigation also took us to Penang, where an operator showed us how technology can be used to improve safety.
I gained many tips – such as about travel insurance – for the next time I book a bus ride to Malaysia. I hope the episode it will do the same for you too.
Cheryl Tan
Senior Producer, Talking Point
