Safety costs money.
There are some small companies with meagre resources that have very good safety records. These are generally run by pilots with a good business head and close contact with every part of the operation. When they get bigger a lot of money is needed to keep things under control. Major airlines have a huge cash flow and can finance the cost of supervision, research and education that is needed for safe operation of a large group.(mostly) Small operations do not have the requied resources to do this. That's why the major airlines no longer run regional services. They only go where the big bucks are. Many regionals stay afloat because of subsidies.
Our governments agrevate this situation by letting government contracts for air services to "missioaries" and organisations that generate funds by appealing to the public for fundraising, bequests etc. Some require pilots to generate an income from the public that is enough to pay their salary and expenses before they get the job. By giving contracts to these operators that can finance their operations from other sources they are driving the prices down to a dangerously low level. And governments often have a list of "preferred suppliers" (is this fair trading). Subsidies ensure that their preferred suppliers can stay solvent at the low rates these things generate. Other operators without the subsidies cannot compete and are forever short of money. Safety and salaries are cut as a result, in an effort to stay afloat.
Safety costs money, and you cannot get it by legislating. However, aviation professionals are really the only ones controlling safety. But is ia very difficult to do it on a hoestring if those in the boardroom and government don't do their part.