PETALING JAYA: Speeding, brake failure and human error have been found in the bus crash in Gerik, Perak, that killed 15 Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (Upsi) students, say the comprehensive investigation report commissioned by the government following the June 9 incident last year.
In a 188-page report released by the Transport Ministry yesterday, the special task force concluded that a combination of factors, including mechanical, human, environmental and organisation elements were to blame.
“The failure of the bus braking system, which was contaminated and inconsistent, combined with driving at speeds exceeding safe limits, led to a loss of vehicle control. Challenging road conditions, weaknesses in the design and installation of road barriers and the structural failure of the bus cabin further increased the severity of the impact and the resulting injuries,” the report read.
It also said that all passenger seats, as well as the co-driver seat, were not equipped with seat belts.
The bus also lacked onboard cameras or GPS devices, and no internal footage from the vehicle was obtained.
“The footage used in the analysis was obtained from another public vehicle and served as the primary source for the incident’s reconstruction and kinematic analysis,” said the investigators from various institutions and agencies, including the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research, Land Public Transport Agency and Road Transport Department.
Investigators said the braking system lost its integrity, while the bus was being driven at an inappropriate speed just before the incident.
“Aggressive braking at high speed caused a rapid increase in brake component temperatures ... progressively reducing braking effectiveness,” said the investigators.
A simulation using kinematic analysis, together with footage from another vehicle, estimated the bus’ speed when entering the curve to be 114.7kph, well above the 60kph limit for that stretch, and also surpassed the critical threshold for skidding and rollover, estimated to be between 111.3kph and 114.5kph.
One of the two bus drivers was also using a licence that had expired since 1998 when the privately chartered bus collided with an MPV headed in the same direction along the East-West Highway near Gerik.
Other than the 15 students who died, the incident also left 33 others injured, making it the deadliest road accident in Malaysia since the 2013 Genting Highlands bus crash that killed 37.
