Public light bus (PLB) drivers to promulgate safety charter

Over 60 PLB drivers signed a safety charter voluntarily to demonstrate their commitment to enhance road safety awareness and promote safe driving at the Launching Ceremony for PLB Driver Safety Charter held at Expo Drive in Wan Chai today (March 31). The event was a joint effort of PLB trade and Transport Department.

"The Transport Department has been working closely with the PLB trade to enhance road safety," the Commissioner for Transport, Mr Robert Footman, who officiated at the ceremony, said. "We fully support the trade's initiative to promulgate a safety charter for PLB drivers."

"I am glad that following close discussion with the trade, we will next month put in place a new requirement that all vehicles will be fitted with speed display devices," Mr Footman added. The device will facilitate passengers to monitor the speed of the PLB and deter speeding by the driver.

Also officiated at the ceremony was the Hon Miriam Lau Kin-yee, a member of the Legislative Council Panel on Transport. Ms Lau took the lead and joined the tens of PLB drivers to read aloud the safety charter under the witness and with the support of PLB trade associations and operators.

By signing voluntarily on the safety charter, a PLB driver is committed to various road safety aspects including:

- no speeding;

- comply with traffic signals and signs;

- drive carefully;

- take care of elderly, people with disability and children who board or alight from the vehicle;

- remind passengers to wear seat belt;

- display driver name plate;

- accept passengers' views on the services;

- always enhance safety awareness in driving and improve service quality for passengers;

- always alert to the road situation; and

- take note of the proper operation of the vehicle and speed display device.

A PLB driver may contact his employer, red minibus/green minibus associations or Transport Department for joining the safety charter scheme. Upon briefing of the contents of the safety charter and witnessed by the employer/association/Transport Department, the driver can sign the safety charter. Concurrently, the driver will be given a "S" sticker to put on his PLB driver identity plate for display on the vehicle to demonstrate his commitments to drive safely and provide quality service to passengers.

Ends/Thursday, March 31, 2005