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Malay Mail
4 days ago
- Malay Mail
Higher Education Ministry mulls daytime travel rule after deadly UPSI bus crash on Gerik highway post Aidiladha
JERTIH, June 29 — Higher learning institutions (IPTs) must closely monitor any initiatives taken independently by their students, including chartering tour buses to return to their hometowns during the holiday season, said Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir. The Higher Education Minister said such oversight is crucial to prevent any untoward incidents involving students. 'I urge universities to maintain communication and monitor any self-initiated plans by students,' he told reporters after visiting the home of the late Nurly Sahirah Azman at Kampung Gong Pasir, Kerandang here today. Also present were Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Md Amin Md Taff, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu vice-chancellor Prof Dr Mohd Zamri Ibrahim and Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Fadzli Adam. Nurly Sahirah was among 15 UPSI students who perished in a road accident involving a charter bus and a Perodua Alza on the East-West Highway near Tasik Banding, Gerik, Perak on June 9. Zambry also said the ministry is reviewing various views and suggestions for improvement following the tragic incident, including proposals to schedule student travel during the day instead of at night. 'We take note of all the concerns raised, especially on social media, to prevent any untoward incidents,' he said. He added that the ministry remains committed to acting swiftly and decisively in addressing student-related issues, especially those involving loss of life. — Bernama
Malay Mail
16-06-2025
- Malay Mail
One crash too many: Why we can't wait for the next tragedy — Mohd Zaidi Md Zabri
JUNE 16 — On June 9, fifteen Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) students were killed and 33 others injured when a chartered bus plunged off a hillside near KM53 of the East–West Highway. They were on their way back to campus after the Aidiladha holidays. The crash shook the nation. For me, it struck even closer. By happenstance, Gerik is my mother's hometown. When I saw the images of the twisted bus, the bent guardrails, and the familiar hills in the background, I felt a chill of recognition. This wasn't just a tragic headline. It was personal. Notwithstanding my personal connection, the experience behind the tragedy is all too relatable for university and boarding school students across Malaysia. We've all taken those overnight buses. It was nerve-wracking to say the least. We've felt the driver speeding or overtaking on winding roads. We looked at each other, uneasy. Most of the time, we slept, or in my case, pretended to with my eyes shut, because I usually have trouble sleeping in a moving vehicle. It was easier not to see what was unfolding outside the window. But ultimately, we said nothing. The reason is simple. We were too young to speak up. And too scared of the consequences. Those who have experienced such journeys will know that the power distance between driver and passenger is real. Speaking up felt rude, even disrespectful. Worse, we feared being told to get off. And when you're young, broke, far from home, and without alternatives, silence often feels like the safer choice. Public outcry and official response This time, the silence didn't last. The crash triggered an outpouring of grief, anger and demands for accountability. On campuses, and across social media, the public made itself heard. On June 13, the Road Transport Department (JPJ) announced a key enforcement shift. From October 1, all express buses, tour buses, and heavy goods vehicles must pass inspections to verify the use of functioning speed limiters. On June 9, fifteen Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) students were killed and 33 others injured when a chartered bus plunged off a hillside near KM53 of the East–West Highway. — Bernama pic I don't know about you, but for me, it begs a simple yet powerful question: why did it take a tragedy to enforce such a rule? What's truly mind boggling is that speed limiters were first proposed by then Transport Minister (now Tun) Ling Liong Sik about two decades ago. Three measures that could save lives While the government's response marks progress, systemic reform is still needed. The following three measures are essential if Malaysia is serious about preventing another tragedy. First, with speed limiters now mandated for all chartered and long-distance buses, the next step is to link them to a real-time GPS system and make the data public — much like how Flightradar24 transformed transparency in air travel. A similar system for long-distance buses could allow families, schools, and passengers to monitor routes, speeds, and delays in real time. This would not only build public trust but also create a culture of accountability where dangerous driving can no longer hide in the dark. In Rwanda, this exact policy of mandatory speed limiter led to a 60 per cent reduction in accident rates and 70 per cent fewer road fatalities within a year of implementation. In Bangladesh, similar reforms cut road accidents by 40 per cent and fatalities by half. Malaysia must follow this example with full enforcement and no exceptions. Second, Malaysia must create a transparent driver registry that records traffic summonses, safety violations, and disciplinary actions. This database should be accessible to schools, universities, companies, and the public. In Australia, following the 2023 Hunter Valley crash, safety reforms now include visual seatbelt alerts and new design rules for passenger coaches. These came alongside growing calls for transparent driver safety records. Such tools help restore trust while holding repeat offenders accountable. Commercial drivers with repeated offences must be permanently disqualified from transporting passengers. Third, seatbelts must be compulsory for every seat — not just those in the front row. In the United States, federal law has required lap and shoulder belts in all new motor coaches since 2016. Scotland made seat belts mandatory on school transport under the Seat Belts on School Transport (Scotland) Act 2017. Australia will require seat belts on all new coaches from late 2026, with audio-visual reminders to ensure usage. To be fair, such a move would impose significant costs on operators. Western Australia addressed this by allocating A$87 million (RM 265.35 million) to retrofit all school buses. Malaysia should adopt a similar approach. Targeted grants or tax incentives can help offset retrofit costs and make compliance feasible. From an Islamic economics perspective, such public support promotes fairness, or 'adl, by ensuring operators are not unfairly burdened. It also serves maslahah, or public good, by protecting vulnerable passengers and supporting the welfare of the wider community. From silence to systemic change The Gerik crash is more than just another tragic headline. It is a sobering reminder of how fragile the lives of young passengers can be when systems fail them. It also exposes the quiet power imbalances that shape how public transport is experienced. When passengers feel too intimidated to question authority or too poor to risk confrontation; that is not just a cultural gap. It is a structural failing. When fear of speaking up outweighs fear of the road, the system is broken. Let this be the moment we fix it. Let Gerik be the last time silence rides with us. * Dr Mohd Zaidi Md Zabri is the Interim Director at the Centre of Excellence for Research and Innovation in Islamic Economics (i-RISE), ISRA Institute, INCEIF University. ** This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.
BBC News
06-06-2025
- BBC News
Reprieved March to Peterborough bus is lifeline, say users
Bus users of a service that runs between a market town and a city have reacted with relief after the route was saved. The March to Peterborough 33 route was to have been shortened from 31 August due to "extremely low passenger numbers", according to operator Combined Authority Board has backed a proposal by Conservative Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Paul Bristow to save the Laurisa Hallam and Paige Camplin said that without the bus, they would have to pay "two or three times more" to access their Peterborough college courses. Saving the service will cost the authority, which oversees the county's bus network, an additional £115,000, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. Bristow told its board meeting it would be "unthinkable" to not have a town as big as March connected to Peterborough by bus."I think it's a good thing to save the bus for people like us, teenagers needing to go to college or get to work," said Ms Campin, relies on the number 33 to attend her course 14 miles (23km) away in Peterborough at least three days a week and sometimes every day. Her only other alternative is the train service, but "if I get train, it's two to three times more money – I have done that before when the bus is cancelled". Fellow student Ms Hallam, 19, also makes the journey three times a week from March to was grateful for plans to subsidise the route, saying "it's a good use of money". Stagecoach said only 32 passengers used the 33 service between March and Peterborough on an average route includes stops at the villages of Eastrea and Coates, as well as Whittlesey. Coates postmistress Anne Benedict said: "It's great news, not only for me, but also for elderly customers."One comes every Tuesday, from here to Whittlesey, not only for shopping but so they're not stuck in the house, while others go into Peterborough at least twice a week."The £2 fair contrasts with the cost of a taxi journey into Peterborough, which the 46-year-old said ranged from £22 to £25. While Eastrea resident Sharon Stevens also welcomed the news she admitted she did not use the service herself, preferring to use her car. "God forbid I hurt myself and couldn't drive, then I would have to use a bus, because I definitely wouldn't use the taxi service because of the cost," the 55-year-old said."There's lots of people who say it's their lifeline, they like to do a bit of shopping in Whittlesey, have a coffee and a meet-up." Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
CTV News
15-05-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
$57 million granted for Windsor and Niagara police service helicopters
Canadian and American flags fly near the Ambassador Bridge at the Canada-USA border crossing in Windsor, Ont. on Saturday, March 21, 2020. The federal government appears to have relaxed restrictions at the Canada-U.S. border that would have made it impossible for first-year university students from the United States to enter the country. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Rob Gurdebeke
