We never learn anything
Another deadly bus accident to add to the long list of bus accidents the country is notoriously known for. A Leomarick bus fell into a ravine in Carranglan, Nueva Ecija last Tuesday. Again, the bus apparently lost control and plummeted down a 100-foot ravine. Thirty have been confirmed dead, including the driver. There are several survivors, who were brought to nearby hospitals for treatment. The bus company has been placed on preventive suspension as an investigation is underway to determine the cause of the accident, along with who may be accountable.
As expected, the investigations have already revealed numerous infractions. The bus was apparently overloaded with passengers, based on the number of fatalities and survivors. I really cannot understand why it so hard for companies to follow this basic rule. All vehicles, whether buses, cars, ships, and even tricycles have a recommended safe number of passengers. To overload is simply irresponsible and even criminal. Does safety really take a back seat to profits? Because the only reason to overload a vehicle is to make more money on a trip. The vehicle is less comfortable, and less safer because of the extra weight, and obviously there is no authority enforcing the allowable number of passengers. The account of survivors saying that the driver tried to slow down the bus as it approached the precarious road but failed to do so because of faulty brakes may be misleading. If the brakes failed, then there would be little or no skid marks on the road, which investigators did find. The bus probably could not respond properly to the braking because it was already too heavy.
Did the brakes fail? Again, if proper maintenance was conducted on the bus, then a possible brake failure would have been spotted. Brake linings should have been inspected for wear. Were there leaks in the system? Those would have been spotted. When was the last time the brake system was overhauled? If the bus is an old one, then all the more should the maintenance checks be frequent.
The locals know the area very well as being accidentprone. If that is the case, why haven't the DPWH or DOTr done anything about it? A visual inspection shows concrete barriers with cracks and damage from previous accidents. It was also discovered that the ill-fated bus did not hit any of the barriers, but passed through a space. Why weren't the barriers repaired or replaced, or even upgraded by the DPWH or whatever agency is responsible? It seems that safety is the least of everyone's concern. Now we have another fatal bus accident on our hands. A good barrier would have prevented the bus from falling into the ravine. Casualties would have been minimized. Again, all this in hindsight. But honestly, we just seem to be blind. The fact that we continue to have accidents like this one just shows that we never learn anything.
‘It seems that safety is the least of everyone's concern. Now we have another fatal bus accident on our hands.’