XN000022-1977-08-10 — Page 18

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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 1977

NEARLY 800 ACCIDENTS IN SIX MONTHS INVOLVE PUBLIC BUSES

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THERE WERE 784 TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS INVOLVING PUBLIC BUSES IN THE FIRST SIX MONTHS THIS YEAR OF WHICH 38 INVOLVED DEATHS AND 257 SERIOUS INJURIES.

THIS WAS STATED BY THE ACTING SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, THE HON. 3. BARNES IN REPLY TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON. LYDIA DUNN AT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.

+

MR. BARNES SAID, IN PURELY ARITHMETICAL TERMS ACCIDENTS HAVE INCREASED BY 55 PER CENT SINCE 1973, AND THIS INCREASE MUST OF COURSE BE A CAUSE FOR CONCERN.

+BUT BUS MILEAGE HAS ALSO INCREASED DURING THIS PERIOD BY ALMOST EXACTLY THE SAME PERCENTAGE AND THE RELATIVE PERCENTAGES OF TOTAL ACCIDENTS SHOW FAR WORSE INCREASES IN OTHER FORMS OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT.

+1 DOUBT, THEREFORE, WHETHER THERE IS CAUSE FOR PARTICULAR CONCERN ABOUT OMNIBUS ACCIDENTS AS SUCH,+ SAID MR. BARNES.

ON THE CAUSES OF OMNIBUS ACCIDENTS, HE SAID THE PATTERN OF ACCIDENTS INVOLVING BUSES IS NOT SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT FROM THE GENERAL PATTERN OF TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS NOR IS THERE ANY OBVIOUS SINGLE FACTOR TO WHICH ANY SIGNIFICANT PROPORTION OF THESE CASES COULD BE ATTRIBUTED.

+CAUSES OF ALL TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS ARE DETERMINED AND RECORDED BY THE POLICE, BUT TO ATTRIBUTE CAUSES FOR ANY PARTICULAR CLASS OF VEHICLE WILL TAKE SOME TIME.+

HE ADDED THAT AN ANALYSIS OF THE 784 ACCIDENTS IS NOW BEING CARRIED OUT.

IN REPLY TO ANOTHER QUESTION FROM MISS DUNN, MR. BARNES SAID INFORMATION ON THE NUMBER OF TIMES KMB AND CMB BUSES WHICH HAVE BROKEN DOWN SO FAR THIS YEAR, IS NOT YET IN HAND AS IT IS PART OF COMPENDIOUS MAINTENANCE RECORDS KEPT AT THE

INDIVIDUAL BUS DEPOTS AND THE GOVERNMENT HAS NOT YET HAD TIME TO EXTRACT THE RECORDS OF THE FAULTS WHICH CAUSED BREAK-DOWNS ON THE ROADS FROM THOSE IDENTIFIED IN THE DEPOTS OR TERMINI.

MR. BARNES SAID HE IS PREPARED TO ANSWER MISS DUNN'S QUESTION WHEN THE ANALYSIS ON THIS HAS BEEN COMPLETED.

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