SBS Transit launches new road safety campaign

Buses have wide and large windscreens, as well as sizable side mirrors. You’d expect excellent all-round visibility, and thus good overall spatial awareness of the Bus Captain’s surroundings, right?

Despite the cameras and the glass, omnibuses actually have not-insignificant blind spots. And this is a message that SBS Transit wanted to send across to the general public. At a road safety exhibition in which the PTO launched its new “Be Safe, Be Seen” campaign, the ComfortDelGro-owned bus operator invited visitors to have a first-hand experience of the issue.

The exhibition was held at the Toa Payoh HDB Hub Atrium, and was launched by Minister of State for Home Affairs and National Development, Associate Professor Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim.

As part of the campaign, and in collaboration with the Traffic Police and KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, 15 buses emblazoned with the “Be Safe, Be Seen” safety message are now on the roads after the first bus was flagged off by Mr Saktiandi Supaat, Chairperson of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Transport and Member of Parliament for Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC at the launch.

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The specially designed campaign bus highlights the blind spot zones on its side panels for easy visual identification. It also carries safety reminders for pedestrians to look out for vehicles when crossing the road and passengers to hold onto grab poles, stanchion poles and hand grips when onboard buses.

These buses will be in service over the next three months. You can catch a glimpse of the special liveries on these six routes - 46, 53, 73, 185, 238 and 852.

This article was first published in Motorist.