Oral Reply by Senior Minister of State for Transport Chee Hong Tat to Parliamentary Question on Safe Commuting on Public Buses

Dr Tan Wu Meng asked the Minister for Transport 

a.     what is the cause of the accident at the Bukit Batok Bus Interchange on 11 July 2021; 

b.     what contributing factors had led to one of the buses reportedly falling two metres and onto its side; 

c.     what is being done to support and help the persons injured; and

d.     whether bus interchange designs undergo stress-test evaluation to assess for potential modes of accidents and consequences thereof.

Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked the Minister for Transport 

a.     how many cases of accidents involving public transport buses have occurred in the last few years and whether such cases have increased; 

b.     what is the range of causes of such incidents; and 

c.     what mitigating measures can be taken to minimise these types of incidents happening so as to reduce the risk of injuries and fatalities to commuters and pedestrians.

Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye asked the Minister for Transport 

a.     in the past five years, what is the number of accidents reported within bus interchanges and bus depots; 

b.     how many of these accidents have been due to speeding or blind spots; and 

c.     what are the safety measures put in place at bus interchanges and bus depots to prevent accidents.

Reply by Senior Minister of State for Transport Chee Hong Tat:

1.     On 11 July 2021, an accident occurred at the Bukit Batok Bus Interchange when a bus that was making a turn within the interchange hit another bus that had just entered the interchange. Following the incident, a bus captain was placed under arrest by the Traffic Police and has been temporarily suspended from active duty by Tower Transit Singapore. The Traffic Police is investigating the accident. As investigations are ongoing, I would refrain from commenting on the cause and contributing factors for the accident.

2.     SBS Transit and Tower Transit Singapore have been in close contact with the passengers and the two injured bus captains, including rendering help to facilitate their medical and insurance claims. The National Transport Workers Union is also working with operators to provide support for the bus captains.

3.     Safety is a key priority for the government and public transport operators. Bus interchanges are designed to ensure safe movement of passengers and bus captains. Prior to the commencement of operations, LTA conducts analyses and trials to ensure that buses can move around the interchange safely. Buses driving within the interchanges must adhere to a speed limit of 15km/h and obey traffic schemes such as the stop lines and “Slow” markings which are prominently painted on the driveways. Bus parking warning systems are also installed to warn bus captains of reversing buses.

4.     All four bus operators have instituted continual safety training for their bus captains, imposed disciplinary procedures for errant bus captains, as well as provide incentives for safe driving. They have also invested in telematics systems onboard buses, which monitors the driving of bus captains and proactively identifies those who require refresher training.

5.     With these measures, our public bus safety record has improved in recent years and there are relatively few accidents. The number of accidents involving public buses, not just in bus interchanges but across different settings, has been falling steadily. There were 148 of such accidents between January to May 2021, as compared to 270 in the same period in 2017. The average yearly accident rate for our public buses has been on a downward trend over the last few years, from about 0.15 cases per 100,000 bus-km travelled in 2017 to about 0.10 cases per 100,000 bus-km travelled between January and May 2021.

6.     Accidents that occur are often attributed to human factors, such as failing to keep a proper lookout, or to give way to traffic with right of way. The public bus operators and LTA have put in place a process to collate and share learning points from accidents and near-misses to raise awareness among bus captains and reduce the risk of future accidents.