Bus companies required to reduce accidents by 10 percent

Lam Hin Sam (center)

Local bus companies have been instructed to reduce the number of bus accidents by 10 percent, Transport Bureau (DSAT) director Lam Hin Sam said after a meeting and press conference last Friday.

The meeting was called in response to a serious bus accident last week in Macau’s central district. The driver reportedly stepped on the accelerator instead of the brakes, killing one woman and injuring at least four others. 

Lam reaffirmed that the industry’s “first priority” is safety, followed by bus schedules and services.

“In 2016, 1,709 accidents involved buses and in 2017, the number was 1,495, corresponding to a reduction,” Lam said. “In 2016, there were 848 car accidents concluded to be the responsibility of bus companies. In 2017, that number was 778, down about eight percent.”

In 2017, Transmac, TCM, and New Era recorded decreases in the number of accidents by 12.5 percent, 9.5 percent and 4.3 percent, respectively.

According to Lam, the overall average reduction exceeded 10 percent, which was one of the requirements of DSAT for 2017.

Lam said DSAT also suspended around 30 part-time bus drivers for safety reasons because “the resting time of non-permanent drivers cannot be ensured, and the associated risks are higher than full-time drivers’.”

“Currently, Macau has a total of approximately 1,200 full-time bus drivers,” he continued. “Around 30 non-permanent bus drivers are being targeted by the suspension: nine from Transmac, four from TCM, and 17 from New Era. On a daily basis, about 10,000 bus trips cover the territory, with only close to 100 [impacted by] this suspension.”

The DSAT director clarified that the suspended drivers comprise “those who have a job [besides bus driver], those who drive a bus following a day of rest [concerning their first job], and those who only work one or two days but several hours each time.”

This group does not include part-time drivers who operate buses every day for fewer than eight hours. 

According to Lam, 60 bus routes resumed operations on Friday once some of the suspended drivers had returned to their posts.

DSAT does not exclude the possibility of the other drivers resuming work after their companies properly assess their experience, training and rest schedules.

DSAT added that it has instructed the affected companies to operate services as usual by reassigning buses in order to minimize the impact on passengers. It also called on the bus companies to ensure that the remaining full-time drivers are not overworked and that labor laws are respected, so as to give drivers sufficient rest and avoid situations of extreme fatigue while driving.

DSAT also announced that it is conducting a comprehensive review of training and management with the three bus companies, in order to find a solution for the suspended drivers’ schedules.

Macau’s bus fleet transports around 580,000 passengers daily, a number that has been growing – along with the distance travelled by the buses – due to the expansion of the territory and the need for workers to travel to more remote areas.

Two days before last week’s accident, Lam and the Secretary for Transport and Public Works, Raimundo do Rosario, were called to the Legislative Assembly to answer lawmakers’ questions on the public bus sector, namely regarding the expected increase of fares. Lam also raised issues such as the lack of local bus drivers – the bus companies are not permitted to hire non-local drivers – and government protections for those drivers.  JZ

Part-time bus driver is casino employee

DSAT director Lam Hin Sam said the bureau is not attempting to dodge responsibility for last week’s deadly accident.

The deputy general manager of the bus company New Era, Kwok Tong Cheong, revealed that the driver involved in Wednesday’s accident is a casino employee who obtained his license in April 2017 and began working for New Era in September that same year.

In 2018, the driver had worked only five days for approximately four hours each time.

Kwok admitted that there are gaps in New Era’s safety management and said the company had sacked 20 bus drivers last year for failing safety requirements.

He went on to say that New Era recruits all its drivers based on the same criteria. 

New Era’s general manager, Daniel Fang Li Qun, said the company will eliminate potential flaws in its safety management and has called for all staff to prioritize safety.