As part of the Recommendation Review Panel report for the Genting Highlands bus accident in August 2013 which took 37 lives, Malaysia has made it compulsory for passengers on the new buses to wear seatbelts from 2019. In addition, new express and tour buses will be required to install closed-circuit televisions (CCTVs).
“It will also be made compulsory to install CCTVs on all new buses apart from raising the level of bus driver welfare,” Malaysia’s Transport Minister Loke Siew Fook said at a media conference at the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS).
Enforcement to make sure new buses comply with the safety belt rule will start in 2020, the minister added. Additionally, all buses must be equipped with a brake retarder and a speed limiter.
Malaysia will also set up a Transportation Safety Board to address road accidents, especially those involving express buses.
The minister reported that out of the 51 suggestions made by the report, Malaysia had implemented 27 and “partially implemented” 19. Four suggestions have not been implemented.
