Friday 23 August 2013

#BusTragedy - Authorities please have a look at the road barriers too

I am very saddened by the tragedy that befall our blessed nation in Genting Highlands on 21 August 2013.....37 lives lost and 16 injured....read more here and other reports too. I am sure as promised by the Gomen that there will be a thorough investigation on how the accident happened and what needs to be done to prevent further such accidents in the future.

While many of us will speculate on the many reasons to the accident..brake failure, driver incompetence(sadly the driver died too), enforcement inaction maybe, road conditions etc. I hope the Authorities will also focus on the road barrier which the ill fated bus breached before it plunged into the ravine.

I am not speculating or accusing any one here but the Authorities should have a closer look at the design of the road barriers throughout the Genting Highland winding roads too, is it strong enough to withstand impact from a runaway bus/heavy vehicles going down a steep slope with such a high momentum force? Are the barriers designed to world mountain road standards? Is there any such standards? I don't know but I know that now millions of people ply up and down the Genting Highland roads yearly, so accident happens..sudden brake failure down a steep slope will be catastrophic, and road/barrier designs should and must be able to cater for all these terrible scenarios. Could a very well designed  road barrier system had stopped the bus from plunging into the ravine? I don't know as well. Road experts must know I guess and Malaysia have many such experts.

Pic. taken from NST here - Rescuers climbing down the hill slope towards the ill fated bus
Pic. taken from NST here - probable location where road barrier was breached by the ill fated bus

Tragedy in Genting Highlands
Pic sourced from Yahoo here - rescuers preparing to go down the hill slope 

Pic sourced from NST here side view of road showing  road barrier system protecting vehicle from plunging into the ravine
On another note does any one know who built, own and maintain the Genting Highland winding roads? Is it the Gomen or Genting Bhd owner of the resort at the hill top? 

Why I ask? Well in the meantime the owner or the maintenance company ought to shore up all the weak barrier points (if any, in their opinionlah) with heavy sandbags as a temporary measure to give us road travelers some degree of confidence lah. 

Thank You.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Mr Eddy, heavy sandbags as a temporary barrier is not practical. Because why? the next day the sandbags will be missing. Sand too expensive in Selangor and KL. ;)