China launches bus safety campaigns after disgruntled driver found responsible for crash that killed 21

Source: Global Times Published: 2020/7/13 17:53:13

Rescuers work at the site of a bus accident in Xixiu District of Anshun, southwest China's Guizhou Province, July 7, 2020. (Photo by Long Rui/Xinhua)



 Many areas across China have launched safety check campaigns on public transportation and drivers' mental health conditions to ensure safe journeys for the public, after an upset bus driver was found to intentionally drive into a lake last week in Southwest China's Guizhou Province, killing 21, including students heading to their college entrance exam.

Haikou, South China's Hainan Province, on Sunday carried out a campaign called "No defective cars on roads, no physically or psychologically ill drivers driving," local official media reported.

The report said the campaign was launched to draw lessons from the Guizhou incident, and bring an end to such tragedies.

An investigation showed that the bus driver in Anshun, Guizhou, was drunk and intentionally plunged his vehicle into a reservoir on July 7, the first day of the college entrance exams, killing 21 and injuring 15, to vent his anger over the demolition of his house, said an announcement the Anshun police released on Sunday.

The Haikou City Public Transportation Group has launched special safety training education and vehicle safety management work for drivers to improve their safety operation and emergency response ability. 

The company requested careful checks on vehicles that are old, about to expire, and in poor condition, demanded inspection work to be carried out on all its vehicles three times a day, ordered problematic vehicles to stop running and for repairs to be reported in a timely manner.

The company also vowed to implement a daily inquiry system for drivers before work, pay attention to their physical and mental health, adopt shifts, days off and heart-to-heart talks with drivers to strengthen their psychological counseling. Drivers who are psychologically unhealthy, physically unfit or angry will not be allowed to start work.

The company will also check the number of routes, including those that pass by rivers, lakes, cliffs and bridges, listing these routes into the risk control system. The company will monitor drivers in real time through driver behavior intervention systems and intelligent dispatching platforms, and will give timely warnings and corrections to those who violate regulations and drive dangerously.

Other parts of China, including Beijing, Wuhan in Central China's Hubei Province and Kunming in Southwest China's Yunnan Province, have carried out similar public transportation safety campaigns from Thursday.

Beijing Public Transport said it would pay close attention to key drivers and dangerous road sections, and strengthen investigations of conflicts and disputes.

The company noted they would assess the risks of policies and major decisions taken during the epidemic and the summer holidays, and strengthen the monitoring of public opinion to prevent conflicts intensifying during key periods.

The campaigns came after China's Ministry of Public Security (MPS) urged authorities across the country to strengthen bus safety measures on Wednesday.

The MPS urged bus companies to strengthen safety management and establish and improve safety and risk prevention mechanisms, strengthen routine training for bus drivers and conduct regular drills. 

The Ministry of Transport on Tuesday urged public transport companies to pay close attention to the mental and physical conditions of drivers in the wake of the incident. 

Global Times



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