Mandatory Belting Up ~ Car Seats And Seat Belts

[Chunky Monkey 2]

I guess the story about 8-year-old Russell who was flung out of his school bus in a road accident is still quite fresh in everyone's minds.

At the month-end Parliament meeting this month, many MPs are said to be garnering for a law to be passed to make selt belts mandatory in SCHOOL BUSES. The debate of who's to pick up the tab was, to me, the most irritating bit. I think the bosses of private bus companies are too "money faced". They see themselves as a simple bus operators. They do not see themselves as a community service providers. And that seems to be the hardest and most difficult mindset to alter. I hope to see the Government come out with a new legislation about bus companies that will skew these bus companies into thinking that if they don't conform, they will lose out to competition. Instead of using the cost of retro-fitting seat belts as main reason for not taking the lead. (sic)

Stepping away from the above, I would like to start a discussion about how you decide on having a infant/child car seat in your own private cars? What are the factors of consideration? Do you already practice safe road safety for your most precious 'assets'? Fire away!

[TYM 0]

Do SBS and SMRT see themselves as community service provider? If i am the bus operator, i also won't see myself as a community service provider, i see myself as a businessman. Operating cost such as diesel/petrol, ERP, road tax, maintenance are all rising, now additonal cost to install seat belts? In fact i think they are just being upfront about the additional cost.

[Chunky Monkey 2]

It's with mindsets about bottomlines all the time, that puts us in such a sorry state that we are in. That's the point I am trying to make, why does it have to be about money all the time? Why can't bus companies be more civic minded, and think about giving back to society? For example, start by giving back 5 - 10% of their earnings and do the right thing?

I just read the Sunday Times, and having read the article that the law for seatbelts in buses will take time to be implemented, makes me shake my head. What is it about it that needs so much time? Why can't the authorities put their foot down, implement the law, and give 12 months for compliance, whether the bus companies like it or not?

God forbid, but if any of our school going children, who take the school bus, get into a collision, would we parents give everything we have to have our children back? We cannot be complacent.

[yoongf 11]

The bus industry has many players. Some are big fleet operators, but most are one man show owner-operators. There are big 44 seater buses and there are those 11 seater van type buses. But all are registered under the same PA bus registration type. Any law change will hit all PA bus owners, regardless of type of bus or profile of the owner.

Many small bus operators are servicing their bus hire purchase loan, and it's not exactly a high margin business. Suddenly imposing an additional capital expenditure.. where are they going to suddenly find the funds to fund the additional cost? 2nd mortgage on their buses?

Buses are licensed at say 11 seater with a adult child ratio of 2:3. so.. put 2 or 3 seat belts per 2 adult seat bench? If the seatbelt rule says.. follow adult configuration, there will suddenly be a huge demand for more buses and drivers due to lowered carrying capacity. Traffic jams at schools?

Most lower end buses have seats that is simply screwed down to the chassis of the bus. The seat design cannot handle the extra load imposed by seat belts. If kena accident with a belted down person, the whole seat will fly forward with the person. These buses need to redo all the seats to be able to handle the forces required to restrain a person + seat.

Buses play a big economic role in this country. Imagine.. if one day.. when implement the law.. and say 10% of the buses are not street legal, imagine waking up one day to see kids /workers standing by the roadside waiting for a bus that's not coming. The productivity of the nation will be severely affected for that day.

At the end of the day.. if these buses are owned by fleet operators, then.. implementation can be quite straight forward, as these companies can leveage on corporate credit facilities. But when it comes to that highly leveraged one man show owner-operator, it becomes tricky.

[zirhk3355 1]

It's with mindsets about bottomlines all the time, that puts us in such a sorry state that we are in. That's the point I am trying to make, why does it have to be about money all the time? Why can't bus companies be more civic minded, and think about giving back to society? For example, start by giving back 5 - 10% of their earnings and do the right thing?

In a bigger picture, Singapore is really in a sorry state. Many of us do not really bother about being civic-minded, giving back to society simply because they are in difficulties themselves. Remember the Maslow's hierachy of needs?

I would agree with TYM, the bus operators are simply businessmen; they just charge you a fee for sending you from point A to point B. They are not childcare specialist, they do not want to be responsible for anything else if they could help it.

Adding on to what yoongf said, the govt is taking alot of time to deliberate on this law is because there are so many factors to consider. There are no benefits to put the selfish bus operators out of business, which would seriously impact the society instead. Those who have the moolah to have seat belts on all the seats in the bus would jump in to charge more. Govt might also want to consider subsidies for the operators, but that has to be ironed out because contractors would always take the opportunity to rip off the state's money.

God forbid, but if any of our school going children, who take the school bus, get into a collision, would we parents give everything we have to have our children back? We cannot be complacent.

Its the same, you see; you care for your kids, the bus operators care for their families too! The bus operators do not see that they are ferrying children and need to be responsible for them; they just take it as their job to earn money for THEIR families.

When their families' livelihood are at risk (ie paying more for seat belts and reducing quality of life for their family), they simply CANNOT comprehend why they must be socially-responsible and civic-minded. My family always have to come first, not the society. Just like you and me, isn't it?

Edited May 11, 2008 by zirhk3355

[MaCe 3]

they just too dumb to see the REAL problem.

it's the SPEEDING of buses/lorries/trucks !!!!!

fix speed delimiters on all heavy vehicles!!!!