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Minibuses will be safer in the future

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  1. #1

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    Minibuses will be safer in the future

    A new law requiring data black boxes and training for minibus drivers has been drafted.

    A non-contentious law that should pass LegCo!!!

    http://www.news.gov.hk/en/categories...7_120356.shtml



    If only they would change the seat belt law to fine bus owners as well as passengers they would become a much safer form of transport.


  2. #2

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    Quote Originally Posted by East_coast:
    A new law requiring data black boxes and training for minibus drivers has been drafted.

    A non-contentious law that should pass LegCo!!!

    http://www.news.gov.hk/en/categories...7_120356.shtml



    If only they would change the seat belt law to fine bus owners as well as passengers they would become a much safer form of transport.
    The whole PLMB thing is a big crock of festering poo.

    Unless you take out the triad component of the equation, drivers of these buses will continue to drive like their tail is on fire.

    The black box wont make one bit of difference because, they'll work out how to damage them so they dont record anything.

    It might be more effective to...

    Place a random plain clothes police officer on board as a passenger, fining the driver for each and every breach of the law by the time the bus gets to its last stop.

    Hongkies only adjust their behaviour if it hits them hard in the pocket.


    Another idea would be to scrap the existing system and only allow the big bus companies to manage PLMBs, ie pay ALL the drivers a proper wage and rationalise some of the routes, as there are too many of them in my opinion.
    Sent from my GT-I9505 using GeoClicks mobile app
    Last edited by Skyhook; 29-06-2014 at 09:13 AM.
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  3. #3

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    A non-contentious law that should pass LegCo!!!
    Will the transport lobby support or oppose it?

  4. #4

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    Quote Originally Posted by Skyhook:
    The whole PLMB thing is a big crock of festering poo.

    Unless you take out the triad component of the equation, drivers of these buses will continue to drive like their tail is on fire.

    The black box wont make one bit of difference because, they'll work out how to damage them so they dont record anything.

    It might be more effective to...

    Place a random plain clothes police officer on board as a passenger, fining the driver for each and every breach of the law by the time the bus gets to its last stop.

    Hongkies only adjust their behaviour if it hits them hard in the pocket.


    Another idea would be to scrap the existing system and only allow the big bus companies to manage PLMBs, ie pay ALL the drivers a proper wage and rationalise some of the routes, as there are too many of them in my opinion.
    Sent from my GT-I9505 using GeoClicks mobile app
    The Green ones are marginally better than the red ones in my opinion, at least the green minibus have fixed and assigned routes with set fares. Whereas the red ones can operate anywhere and charge whatever they want, meaning the red minibus drivers often drive more aggressively as they can't depend on a fixed and routine schedule like their green counterparts.
    Last edited by Watercooler; 29-06-2014 at 11:10 AM.
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  5. #5

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    2 days ago in Sai Kung, a Minibus next to me at the traffic light, waiting for the light to switch to green, not waiting long enough and went off about 5 Seconds before the light switched to green.

    Those drivers should not be allowed to work in public transport. I wonder if you can report them if you have video evidence?

    For black boxes, I wonder what will get recorded. One of the strong point of people here is coming up with something that is totally ineffective. What I would record is:

    Driver
    Time
    Vehicle number
    Speed
    Location

    The HK GPS road map data has already max speed in it, it's very easy to incorporate.

    Which makes me think, I wonder what 'smart' person came with with the speed display on minibuses - and then setting it at a fixed 70Km/h instead of the actual speed. My cheap Android GPS gives me that warning.

    And since that law will be written by people that never use minibuses I have little hope it will be effective...

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  6. #6

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    My recent trip from lion rock toll thru shatin, the display was hitting 100k most of the way... Scared the sh#@ out of me..
    Would be great to see them properly policed

    Sent from my C6903 using GeoClicks mobile app


  7. #7

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    Quote Originally Posted by Skyhook:
    The whole PLMB thing is a big crock of festering poo.

    Unless you take out the triad component of the equation, drivers of these buses will continue to drive like their tail is on fire.

    The black box wont make one bit of difference because, they'll work out how to damage them so they dont record anything.
    The largest operator of Green Minibuses is AMS - stock code 0077

    I believe the second largest is General Elite group based of of IFC II

    Triads are moving up in the world!!!

    As for Red Tops don't the drivers get paid by the cut of the fairs taken incentivising them to get as many passengers as possible in a shift. Adjusting the remuneration scheme would probably have the single biggest impact on the way RMB's are driven.

    Having RMB's being agile to changing market needs for routes is a very sensible way of de-regulating the transport system allowing it to be more efficient and cost effective. A similar approach should be taken with a certain % of double deckers so they could adopt new routes without the Transport Department committee determining if there was a market need (how would they know?) or whether it would hurt the profits of the MTR.
    Last edited by East_coast; 29-06-2014 at 04:56 PM.

  8. #8

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    Double checkers are just as bad as minibuses. They have no concerns for safety or passengers.


  9. #9

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    Quote Originally Posted by WMDS:
    Double checkers are just as bad as minibuses. They have no concerns for safety or passengers.
    Interesting - probably 6 out of 10 times I let a bus have access to a busy lane the driver acknowledges but for cars near zero.