WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1981
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BUS DRIVER FATIGUE REPORT STUDIED
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THE FINAL REPORT ON THE +PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATIONS OF WORKING HOURS, WORKING CONDITIONS AND FATIGUE AMONG BUS DRIVERS
IN HONG KONG+ WAS DISCUSSED TODAY (WEDNESDAY) BY REPRESENTATIVES FROM VARIOUS GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS.
THE REPORT WAS COMPILED BY MR A.J. COURTNEY AND MR W.A. EVANS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG'S INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT IN COOPERATION WITH KMB AND CMB.
THE STUDY COVERS A WIDE RANGE OF TOPICS RELEVANT TO PERFORMANCE AND FATIGUE AMONGST BUS DRIVERS AND THE POSSIBLE EFFECTS ON TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS.
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THE MAIN FINDINGS OF THE REPORT ARE :
OLDER BUS DRIVERS HAVE A CONSIDERABLY BETTER SAFETY RECORD THAN YOUNGER DRIVERS.
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THE CAREER STRUCTURES FOR BUS DRIVERS DO NOT SUFFICIENTLY ENCOURAGE THE OLDER, MORE EXPERIENCED DRIVER. DIFFERENTIALS ARE DOMINATED BY OVERTIME.
PAY
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THE ACCIDENT RATE IS PARTICULARLY HIGH AT THE BEGINNING AND TOWARDS THE END OF SHIFTS.
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SOME DRIVERS, PARTICULARLY THOSE IN SPLIT SHIFTS, HAVE LONG PERIODS BETWEEN SIGNING ON AND SIGNING OFF.
AN EXAMINATION OF THE INFORMATION REQUIRED ON BUS ACCIDENTS SHOULD BE CARRIED OUT BY THE BUS COMPANIES, POLICE AND THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT.
THERE IS A NEED FOR IMPROVED INTERNAL COMMUNICATION WITHIN BOTH KMB AND CMB BETWEEN MANAGEMENT AND JUNIOR STAFF.
SAFETY AND COURTESY BONUS SCHEMES SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED AND EXTENDED.
GOVERNMENT SHOULD CONSIDER REGULATION OF THE HOURS OF WORK OF BUS DRIVERS BASED IN THE FIRST INSTANCE ON OVERSEAS LEGISLATION.
THE BUSES USED IN HONG KONG ARE IMPORTED FROM THE UNITED KINGDOM AND NONE OF THE BUS DRIVER CABS INVESTIGATED SATISFIED THE IDEAL CAB+ SPECIFICATION FOR THE LOCAL DRIVER POPULATION.
FANS SHOULD BE FITTED IN ALL BUS CABS AS A COUNTERMEASURE TO THE THERMAL STRESS TO WHICH LOCAL BUS DRIVERS ARE EXPOSED DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS.
BUS DRIVEND