ON October 1, a school bus with 38 students and six teachers on a field trip caught fire on the outskirts of Bangkok, killing 25 passengers. The other 16 students and three teachers were treated at a hospital.
It was reported that the front left tyre burst and the rim caught fire, subsequently igniting the natural gas for vehicles (NGV) used for engine fuel. If so, it was caused by a lack of tyre maintenance and a gas conversion kit that was poorly designed, badly installed, or both.
Fleet operators of heavy vehicles may adhere to standard operating procedures and have the resources to check tyre pressures at regular intervals, but others would have to rely on mechanics in tyre shops or self-service air pumps at fuel stations.
The question is: is anyone monitoring how often tyre pressures of heavy vehicles are being checked?
This is particularly crucial for school, worker and excursion buses (bas sekolah, bas pekerja, bas persiaran). These vehicles are normally operated by the same drivers and many may lack conscientiousness.
Underinflated tyres would result in over-flexing and when driven over a long distance could severely weaken the casing and generate intense heat until the tyre eventually bursts.
It is time to have tyre centres next to rest-and-relaxation (R&R) areas along highways so that heavy vehicles can queue in an orderly manner and have their tyres speedily checked for pressure, cuts and swells by specialists at reasonable fees with receipts issued for drivers to claim expenses.
Petrol or diesel engines can be converted to run on cheaper NGV but only worthwhile in the long run as conversion kits are costly. The high-pressure cylinders for storing compressed natural gas must meet stringent safety standards and not explode or leak after a collision.
On January 13, a bus with 28 passengers travelling on the North-South Expressway from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur ran over a motorcycle that was lying on the road after an earlier accident and dragged it for a few metres before the bus caught fire.
On board were the co-driver and a tour guide, but they were at a loss on how to handle the situation. Luckily, the driver managed to kick open the malfunctioning door, allowing most of the passengers to escape in time as the fire quickly turned into an inferno.
Not so lucky was a family seated right at the back who were last to get out. Tragically, a 17-year-old girl died while three other family members suffered burns. Ironically, they were seated next to the rear emergency door and they could have opened and jumped off the bus with minimal injury.
In panic mode, none of the passengers or crew thought of using the emergency door, recounted a survivor. Perhaps, there should be safety procedure briefings before bus departures such as using the emergency door and seat belts, especially for passengers seated on the first row.
In 2016, a tour bus on the way to the airport in Taipei was engulfed in flames following an electrical short-circuit caused by overloaded electrical outlets. All 26 people on board died including 24 passengers – the driver and a tour guide.
The autopsy found the driver’s respiratory tract was burnt from inhaling high-temperature smoke after he was knocked unconscious by carbon monoxide while driving, losing control of the bus.
Worse, the emergency door could not be used as the bus company had installed a lock for added security. Many passengers leave their shopping goods inside the bus overnight and the driver has to unlock it the next morning, but sometimes he forgets, as he did on the fateful day.
As an added safety feature, buses could be fitted with small hammers to be used for breaking window glasses in an emergency or make use of the fire extinguisher, smashing at the four corners before pushing out the window pane.
Buses should have three fire extinguishers, one near the driver and others at the luggage and engine compartments. All heavy vehicle drivers should stop safely near vehicles on fire after spotting them, and practise putting out fires by shooting at the base of the flame.
For bus fires, many lives and injuries could be saved along with untold sufferings by the victims and their loved ones. Unfortunately, we hardly see passersby trying to put out fires using their vehicles’ fire extinguishers, which are compulsory and found in all commercial vehicles.
We ought to be more prepared to prevent and contain bus fires, more so when passengers are not covered by the bus motor insurance and victims or their families will have to file a civil suit for the damage and losses suffered. Sadly, many did not receive compensation for various reasons. – October 7, 2024
YS Chan reads Scoop