Ministry of Transport Meeting Addresses Bus Fire in Abyan

 

A meeting was held  at the Ministry of Transport and Public Works, chaired by Deputy Minister Yahya Al-Sayani, to address the tragic accident involving a public transport bus belonging to a company in Abyan Governorate yesterday. The bus, traveling from Jeddah to Aden Governorate via the international highway, was involved in the accident, which resulted in the death of 14 passengers and the bus driver, and injuries to seven others.

The meeting, which included the Chairman of the Land Transport Regulatory Authority, Dr. Ibrahim Al-Muayyad, and several other ministry and authority officials, reviewed the procedures in place to ensure safety and security requirements are met by international public transport companies.

It also discussed the enhanced measures implemented by the authority in Sana’a, which mandate that transport companies conduct a comprehensive technical inspection of each bus before every trip, thus ensuring the safety of passengers and buses. The meeting emphasized the importance of the public transport company’s commitment to implementing the regulations governing trips arriving from neighboring countries, and the need for strict adherence to these regulations, particularly regarding the prohibition of employing temporary, paid drivers who are not part of the company’s core staff. This practice poses a significant risk to drivers.

The meeting concluded with several decisions, most notably requiring transport companies to conduct a technical inspection of each bus before every trip arriving from neighboring countries, similar to the procedures followed in Sana’a. Companies were also prohibited from employing drivers on a daily or per-trip basis.

The meeting also mandated that companies submit technical inspection data and driver documents to the Land Transport Regulatory Authority 24 hours before departure to verify compliance with safety and security requirements. Furthermore, the meeting stressed the importance of issuing a comprehensive safety and security procedures manual and requiring public transport companies to educate passengers on general safety guidelines before each trip, mirroring the practices of civil aviation.

The meeting tasked the Land Transport Regulatory Authority with taking the necessary measures to implement the meeting’s outcomes and monitor the extent to which transport companies adhere to safety and security standards across all trips.