HAS bus crash

[SIC]

Firstly - my sympathy to the families of the deceased. It is sad to see people die unneccesarily.


Now this :

As a precaution, the company has initiated immediate mechanical checks for all the other 28-seater buses in its fleet.


May I suggest the company does some driver training. The average bus driver in Hong Kong suffers from a pathetic level of inability.

Better yet - replace them with women. I have had the pleasure of being in a few buses driven by women recently and the difference was phenomenal. Quiet, non agressive, smooth, paced with traffic etc etc.

Same goes for taxi drivers.

[Flaps10]

Care to elaborate?

[sony]

My thoughts are with the family of the deceased. I hope those that are injured recover well.

[Subwoofer]

Original Article:
Three people have been killed and 22 others injured after a bus crashed on the North Lantau Highway early this morning. The 46-year-old driver has been arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving. The police said that the Hong Kong Airport Services vehicle was carrying off-duty ground staff home when the driver appeared to lose control and swerved into a railing before overturning. Many passengers, who were believed to have been sleeping on the vehicle after working overnight, were trapped underneath the bus and had to be freed by firefighters.

[crwjerk]

Tragedy as HAS bus crashes on North Lantau Highway
Posted On: 28 Aug 2009
A bus operated by Hong Kong Airport Services Ltd (HAS) was involved in a fatal accident on the North Lantau Highway this morning, killing three of those onboard and injuring a further 22 people.

The 28-seater bus was carrying HAS staff from the 4am shift change at Hong Kong International Airport.

HAS staff were at the scene soon after, with others going to the Yan Chai and Princess Margaret Hospitals to help the families of the deceased and to give whatever assistance they could to the injured and their families.

In a message to staff, HAS Managing Director Clement Lam said: “We are all deeply shocked and saddened by this morning’s accident on the North Lantau Highway involving one of our buses. It pains me to say that three of our colleagues lost their lives in the accident and many others were injured.

“On behalf of HAS I would like to send sincere condolences to the families of the deceased. Our immediate thoughts and sympathies also go to all our injured colleagues and their families.”

An investigation is now underway at the scene of the accident and HAS is doing all it can to assist the police in their work and cooperate in every way possible.

The company is providing financial support to the families of each of the deceased and we will also do what it can to help everyone injured in the accident. It will also provide counselling through the Employee Assistance Programme for those who have been affected in any way by the tragedy.

As a precaution, the company has initiated immediate mechanical checks for all the other 28-seater buses in its fleet.

[parabellum]

Same in Singapore, quite a few mad male bus drivers but the women were much smoother.

[Cavallier]

I agree. Female cab drivers are by far the best. They seem to have alot more spatial awareness than their male counterparts.

The Cav:cool:

[wayne_king]

Very sad news, perhaps the mechanical checks will reveal a distinct lack of seat belts for a start........:ugh:

[C172Driver]

Condolences to the family and friends of the deceased. It's very sad to hear this happen. Hopefully they will install and make it mandatory to wear seatbelts on these buses, as others have said.

[moosp]

Maybe fell asleep at the wheel, it happens.

Specially at that time of the morning. Hope the coroner looks into his shift pattern.

[Liam Gallagher]

My deepest sympathies to all concerned.

I have always enjoyed very high standards of care and attention from HAS drivers and I am embarrassed by some of the previous comments. Had this been an "air" incident, I am sure we would all be appalled by utter unfounded speculation as to the cause of the incident. Kindly treat others how you would wish to be treated.

I am very shocked and saddened to read of this news.

[geh065]

I think it is about time the government mandates speed limiters on all public transport. We have all been in a taxi or bus which is going way too fast. Sadly these bus accidents happen all too often and no doubt this will not be the last.

[SIC]

Liam - no matter what you think - I am willing to bet the vast majority of us do not feel safe with the way HKG professional drivers drive.

Something needs to be done about their lack of skill.

I am sick and tired of sliding around in the back of a taxi like a sack of potatoes. My wife gets motion sickness in most buses due to the way they are on and off the accelerators like its a bicycle pedal.

In the past year there has been a spate of accidents where passengers were killed and every single one of them was due to incompetent drivers.

I started this thread mainly to point out that HAS 's ridiculous idea to check all their vehicles is not exactly dealing with the problem. Even if the tragic accident yesterday turns out to be due to a technical failure.

And that female drivers are MUCH better.

[jonathon68]

Seat-belts would be a good start as well....

[BusyB]

Liam,
Whilst most of the drivers are nice people that does not make the transport safe. How many times have you sat with the aisles stuffed with cases (illegal under HKG law) sliding around on corners and roundabouts. Should be seatbelts for all and baggage in a separate compartment.:ok:

My sympathies are with all those affected by this accident.

[Shot Nancy]

Condolences to those affected.

[NoAndThen]

Passengers warned driver to slow down
Martin Wong and Anita Lam
Updated on Aug 29, 2009

"We told the driver three times we were about to crash but he did not respond to us," one survivor recalled.
The survivor, who was in shock, said the driver had been driving "strangely" before the crash. "The bus was in the middle of the three-lane carriageway when it started swerving into the left then right lane over about 600 metres ... there were no other vehicles on the road. Some passengers who were sleeping were jolted awake.

"We shouted at him as we sensed something was wrong but he did not react."

Senior Inspector Kiang Kwok-ming said police were considering several possibilities, including whether the driver fell asleep. "We are also inspecting the structure and the speed of the vehicle, the mental condition of the driver and situation of the road, in a bid to learn the cause of the accident," he said.

He said the speed limit on the North Lantau Highway was 110km/h for cars but 70km/h for large vehicles such as the bus. "Some witnesses said the bus was speeding, but we do not know if it is true," he said.

Senior Inspector Kiang said the bus had a flat tyre but it was not known whether it burst before, during or after the accident. "What we can say is that the tyre marks started about 200 metres away from where the bus flipped on its side," he said.

Family members of the three victims attended an offering ceremony at the scene at 4pm.

Their employer, Hong Kong Airport Services, gave each of the families HK$150,000 for funeral expenses.

They also received HK$8,000 from a government emergency fund.

Permanent Secretary for Labour and Welfare Cherry Tse Ling Kit-ching said department officers had contacted the families to offer assistance.

She said that the families of the three people killed in the accident might receive as much as HK$1.7 million in compensation, because it was considered that the accident had happened while they were working.

The injured workers were entitled to sick leave and could get HK$200 a day in medical subsidies.

[SIC]

very considerate of the reporter to focus so much on exactly how much money everyone will make from this. After all money solves all problems and heals all wounds.

[crwjerk]

Sounds like he fell asleep or was tired. It was 4am after all. And it is a CX subsidiary.

[badairsucker]

I've been in a cab with her........Scary!!!!!!!!!!!

[FL999]

Very sad to hear. condoleances to the families who have lost a loved one.:sad:

Nowadays theyre making thos high-tech buses and stuff, they should implement systems that could help avoid crashes due to the driver falling asleep. One example would be that system they have in the new citroen cars, when the car changes lanes on a highway or something, the seat vibrates if you havent used the indicator. Considering all those high-tech hydraulic stuff they have nowadays, it wouldnt be too much hassle to install one of those systems. however i have never been to hong-kong and dont really know how the buses are there. you should see the buses in my country...boy you'd be in for a surprise and would understand what people mean by 'the colour of adrenaline is brown'!! :} its very hard to drive a bus, you gotta respect those guys but then again ive never been to hong-kong so i cant judge. And as you say, seatbelts...I always wonder what would be the result of my head hitting that seat 'handle in front of me in the event of a crash.....it definitely would be reassuring if there were some sort of seatbelt system.

[NoseGear]

Pogie...shes the one who uses her whole body to feather the accelerator! My god, Im absolutely certain shes blind! Sadly, she is more representative of the standard of driving than the exception....did I read the driver has been charged? Negates the need for those pesky seatbelts....and mechanical checks....:rolleyes::ugh:

[nitpicker330]

Sadly 99% of taxi drivers in HK have very low driving ability.

They either don't know the car is fitted with indicators or don't know what they're for.
They don't seem to be able to see past the bonnet.
They can't keep their foot still on the accelerator.
They think that putting an automatic into neutral at the lights is correct.
Some think speeding up and then selecting neutral "saves" fuel !!
They tailgate, even in wet low vis conditions.
They are not predictable to other road users.
They have way too much stuff in front of the eyes blocking the visibility ( such as 4 mobile phones)
They talk non-stop on those phones.
And they try to rip you off.

On the other side of the coin.

They receive very little training...........
They work very long hours
They get very little pay.

Time for the Govt to do something, but they wont.

So keep your eyes open whilst in a Taxi and wear the seat belt!!

[HEALY]

Certainly been more than one occasion where I thought the S64 was going to tip over at the roundabout on the way to Tung Chung

[Old Fella]

crwjerk. What the hell does HAS being a CX subsidiary have to do with this road accident?