It is so disheartening reading of the kind of tragedy that just happened near Simpang Empat on the southern stretch of the North South Highway. Everything that needs to be said has been said and I am not going to say anymore. However, I would like to make a suggestion.

Is it too difficult to project the speedometer reading of the bus onto a screen in front of the bus so that passengers can read it? Beside it, provide two phone numbers.

Firstly that of the bus company and another of the highway authorities. Have a notice encouraging the passengers to call in. Maybe, also have an alert signal when the bus exceeds its speed limit.

If just only such information was available, any one of the passengers could have taken a picture of the speedometer reading for evidence and called in the speeding driver. If necessary the authorities could have waylaid the bus well before the accident happened.

Furthermore, knowing he could be arrested, you can rest assured the driver would be have the first real measure of a deterrent.

No doubt on the back of the buses there can be phone numbers and other drivers behind the bus may see the recklessness of the driver concerned. But really, when your life is not threatened, how many would call in the danger?

The passengers on the other hand would know of the danger and may rightfully fear for their lives and that should prompt someone to call in the driver.

But I fear, this, the cheapest of measures may, not be adopted, simply because, as it would seem, most of these bus companies that end up in these tragedies might be owned by the politically connected.