We have heard and seen it too often. From the Bukit Gantang bus accident that killed 22 people in 2007 to the Pedas/Linggi bus accidents that killed 12 people in 2010 to the Genting crash that killed 27 people in 2013; the authorities responsible for the road safety play a similar tune.

We have the Transport Ministry, the Road Transport Department (JPJ), the Land Public Transport Commission (Spad), the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros), Puspakom, the Road Safety Department (JKJR), and even the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM), to name a few, that look after the state of land transportation safety in Malaysia.

In short, Malaysia already has a number of agencies with a number of officers on the government’s payroll to work on the common goal - to ensure that our transportation is safe.

But what is happening is totally the opposite. The number of accidents continue to climb and every year almost 7,000 people are killed in road accidents.

Each time there is a major road accident like the recent one in Pagoh, these ‘rakyat-have-no-idea-what-they-do’ government officers are quick to make their comments for some publicity. Their comments vary, depending from which department they come from.

The Spad chairperson, Syed Hamid Albar, for example, suggested increasing the bus fares as a solution to the express bus safety because the drivers could get more pay and don’t have to rush for multiple trips.

Then, we have Miros chairperson Lee Lam Thye accusing other government agencies for not heeding to Miros’ 51 recommendations made after the Genting Highland tragedy in 2013. That includes the setting up of another agency called the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) that will carry out crash investigations of all types of public transport including aviation, rail and air.

Their comments and suggestions are absolutely ridiculous! Don’t they know that the rakyat are suffering every day and have to count their last sen before payday; and that the government is already bloated with staff and agencies? What is worse, the existing government agencies have, time and again, proven that they are a failure! The number of road accidents continue to soar.

Then, Lee suggested that the government set up another agency to deal with transportation safety? For whose benefit? Perhaps for one or two people who could be made a chairperson or CEO for some easy money. God knows, but I hope I’m wrong.

On the other hand, we hardly hear the urging for sensible basic safety measures such as enforcing a safer speed limit for express buses; increasing enforcement of existing laws with stiffer penalties; demanding highway operators such as Plus to install stronger and safer guardrails; to enforce passenger seatbelts on express buses, to list a few.

One thing for sure, the loss of lives continues. Families lost their breadwinners, wives became widows, children became orphans, and so on. The survivors of road accidents have to continue to deal with financial, health, and even social issues; but the government officers who failed in their duty continue to jet-set around the world in nice suits on taxpayers’ hard-earned money.

Do we need another government agency to look into transportation safety issues when it’s proven that they are bunch of incompetent agencies working on road safety?