Killer bus was speeding, says minister

The wreckage of the Delima bus rests on a crushed vehicle after the October 10 incident. — file pic

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 24 — The express bus involved in a crash that killed 13 people at 223km North-South Expressway near Simpang Ampat toll plaza was travelling at 120kph after entering the expressway from Alor Gajah toll.

Transport Minister Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha said this was among findings of a scientific analysis and study on the crash conducted by Malaysia Institute of Road and Safety (Miros).

He said a co-ordination meeting involving relevant agencies such as Road Transport Department, Computerised Vehicle Inspection System Centre (Puspakom), police and Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM) had been carried out on October 14, following the accident.

The reports were then compiled and analysed by the Miros crash reconstruction team, he said in a statement here, tonight. He said based on the crash impact energy analysis, the probable speed of Delima Bus, which was carrying 36 passengers, before braking was between 94 and 109kph.

“Furthermore, another vehicle involved in this collision might have been travelling at sped of 160kph at the time,” he added.

In the 6.47pm accident on October 10, the Delima express bus heading to Kuala Lumpur from Melaka went out of control, flipped over to the south-bound side of the expressway and rammed into a van, two cars and another bus, leaving 13 people killed and 38 others injured.

On the condition of the express bus, Kong said periodic inspection from Puspakom showed that the bus was in good condition.

“The tyres and brakes of the express bus were in good condition prior to the crash as found by Puspakom during inspection after the collision,” he said.

Kong said possible causes were sudden encroachment of other vehicles into the bus lane, critical traffic flow in front and slow response time by the driver.

The number of casualties and injuries and the severity of the collision could be avoided if everyone followed traffic rules and practised good driving behaviour, travel within the speed limit, fasten front and rear seat belts while heavy vehicles kept to the slow lane.

“Besides strict enforcement, road engineering and vehicle safety, the road user behaviour plays an important role in preventing road accidents,” he said. — Bernama