Oral Reply by Minister of State for Transport Mr Murali Pillai to Parliamentary Question on Bus Passenger Fatalities and Safety Measures on Public Transport

Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked the Minister for Transport 

a.     how many bus passenger fatalities have there been in each year of the past 10 years; 

b.     what are the main causes of the fatalities; 

c.     whether the recent death of an 80-year-old man who lost his balance and fell on board an SBS Transit bus will expedite the planned implementation of the Bus Safety Tripartite Taskforce’s recommendations; and 

d.     what other measures are being considered to ensure the safety of our elderly on public buses.

Reply by Minister of State for Transport Murali Pillai:

1.     Over the past 10 years, there were five bus passenger fatalities. Four of these fatalities involved elderly commuters falling on board, while the remaining case was the result of a serious collision.

2.     The Land Transport Authority (LTA) works closely with the public bus operators to maintain and improve bus safety. Public buses in Singapore are equipped with features such as dedicated priority seats, non-slip flooring materials, bus kneeling function at bus stops, and grab bars at exit doors to facilitate boarding and alighting. Bus captains are also trained to ensure that elderly commuters are safely seated before moving off; and to avoid harsh acceleration, braking, or jerky movement.

3.     LTA and the public bus operators also raise awareness among commuters on safe commuting practices. These include public education campaigns to promote safer habits, such as holding onto handrails or grab poles when standing or using the stairwell, and encouraging fellow commuters to look out for vulnerable commuters such as the elderly when onboard buses.

4.     To further enhance bus safety, the Government has accepted the recommendations from the Bus Safety Tripartite Taskforce to improve the safety of commuters onboard buses. These include introducing audio reminders on our public buses to alert commuters that the bus is moving off, equipping our bus fleet with more safety technology to alert Bus Captains to potential safety risks, and to modify our public buses to reduce sharp acceleration that could cause commuters to lose their balance when buses are moving off.