THE CAUSES OF BUS ACCIDENTS IN FIVE EMERGING NATIONS

During the last three years, the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) has been studying the extent and likely causes of bus accidents in Nepal, Zimbabwe, Thailand, Tanzania and in the Indian State of Maharashtra, all of which are assumed to be representative of emerging nations. Data have been collected from official sources in the countries and interviews undertaken to obtain opinions as to the causes of bus accidents. In addition, the operating environment, vehicle condition and driver behaviour were assessed. A number of recommendations are discussed to reduce both the severity and number of public transport accidents in the future. (A)