What if it had been rush hour?

Again, something leaning towards a call to the leaders of this government sector...

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COMMUTER SAFETY
Letter from Raymund Koh Joo Guan

I REFER to the report about the serious accident between a tour bus and an SBS Transit double-decker bus along Selegie Road on Tuesday at around 10am (“Bus-ted”, April 15).

The entire front left portion of the tour bus was mangled beyond recognition, showing the amount of damage an accident causes at speeds of around just 60kmh.

Every day, during peak hours, public buses are packed to the point where passengers are standing on the buses’ front steps. The safety of commuters, especially those squashed at the front, is at stake. With the added weight of an overcrowded bus, the distance needed to break would definitely be more.

Should an accident similar to the Selegie Road one have involved a public bus packed to the brim, hitting another vehicle from behind, the passengers on the steps and around the left wheel arch area would likely be killed or badly injured. Those standing anywhere on the bus would likely be affected by whiplash.

Can the Land Transport Authority or the Public Transport Council address this issue? Why should bus commuters be put in jeopardy daily? Isn’t there a limit as to how many standing passengers a bus can safely carry? Can’t the public bus operators put more buses on the road to prevent overcrowding?

As a First World nation, to ensure the safety of all commuters, everyone should be seated and no one forced to stand. Why does our first-class public transport system allow for a bus crammed full of passengers?

From TODAY, Voices – Friday, 17-April-2009

Ships must employ armed bodyguards

Letter from Roland Mah Kah Eng

I REFER to “Sailors to carry weapons?” (April 14). I am a certified public accountant and the auditor for more than 10 shipping companies and my clients in the industry tell me there is no use arming the crew with water hoses because the Somali pirates will only laugh at you.

The only way to ensure a ship’s safety is to have a proper bodyguard system. A trained bodyguard with automatic firearms knows when, how and what to shoot. However, these armed bodyguards are very expensive and may cost at least $1,500 a day.

The industry must also spread the news that every commercial ship sailing the Somali coastline and Indian Ocean has an armed bodyguard who has a permit to use firearms and will not hesitate to shoot.

I believe every ship should have an armed bodyguard, and nobody else should be armed. This will stop the Somali pirates because they are no match for trained gunfighters. Look at airlines — following 911, every plane now has a member of its crew trained in the use of firearms to deter any would-be hijacker. The shipping industry could take a leaf from their book.

From TODAY, Voices – Friday, 17-April-2009