Are minibuses inherently unsafe? It would be an easy assumption to make, based on incidents such as the crash involving a minibus and a stationary lorry on Emirates Road this week. The accident caused the deaths of seven people and injured 13 but is just one of a long litany of similar incidents on our roads.
Understandably, this has led to recommendations by safety groups such as the Federal Traffic Council for such vehicles to be restricted to only transporting goods and not people. These vehicles predominantly transport people doing low-wage jobs between their workplaces and their accommodation. Even if minibuses were banned as a means of transport, workers would still need to make the journey by some means.
As the police noted, the cause of Tuesday’s accident was driver error. The Emirates Driving Institute and the American traffic management company Iteris have both stopped short of urging a ban on minibuses. They argue that instead of putting the focus on the class of vehicle, the authorities ought to address driver behaviour and ensure that the vehicles are maintained to an adequate standard, including being equipped with passive safety devices such as seat belts and internal roll bars.
The over-representation of minibuses in crash statistics demonstrates the higher onus of responsibility on drivers of such vehicles compared to those of cars. Minibus drivers have the lives of up to 20 people in their hands, so there is a cogent argument to be made for them to be trained to a higher standard than ordinary drivers before being allowed to get behind the wheel.
Similarly, there needs to be strict enforcement to ensure minibuses are not overcrowded and that their maintenance is up to date. Because minibuses are seen as a cheap form of transport, some unscrupulous operators will be tempted to reduce their costs – and boost their profit margins – by failing to do essential maintenance. The police must be vigilant that those who resort to such tactics are held to account before their actions cause an accident.
Minibuses play an important role in the transport options on our roads, so those who rely on them deserve to feel safe and be kept safe. Meeting these goals by addressing the factors that cause accidents will be a much better solution than a ban.