In recent years, intercity bus transportation and urban passenger transportation in Turkey has become a critical area where not only transportation but also the safety of life and property is discussed.
Bus travel, which was once seen as a symbol of safe and regular travel, is now unfortunately causing serious concern in the society due to successive accidents with material damage, death, injury, chain accidents and occasional fires in vehicles.
This concern is not an emotional reflex; on the contrary, it is a concrete alarm that statistics and painful events reveal.
According to shared data;
2,945 fatal and injury bus accidents in 2022,
In 2023, there were 6,693 fatal and injury bus accidents.
7,716 bus accidents in 2024.[1]
This picture indicates not only an increase in numbers but also a serious deterioration in passenger safety, inspection mechanisms, driver training and the overall structure of the transportation system.
Even more striking is the fact that, as of last year, an average of 18.3 buses were involved in accidents every day.
This figure shows that we should no longer speak of isolated incidents, but of a systematic security problem.
It's Not Just an Accident, It's a System Problem
While the safety of life and property in our cities is already being debated in many areas, the safety of buses carrying passengers on highways must now be seriously questioned.
Because it is not just about a vehicle rollover or a collision.
The issue here is a structural crisis that affects the lives of hundreds of families, that can extinguish dozens of homes in one night, and that grows with a chain of negligence.
An analysis of bus accidents and vehicle fires clearly shows that most incidents cannot be explained as “fate” or “misfortune”.
On the contrary, negligence, lack of supervision, fatigue, lack of training, infrastructure weaknesses and deterioration in working conditions within the sector are behind these incidents.
Possible root causes of accidents
Today, multiple factors are at the heart of the risks experienced in intercity bus transportation:
1. Vehicles are almost constantly on the move
There are serious criticisms that in some companies vehicles are shipped from one city to another without sufficient technical rest and maintenance time, almost without turning off the ignition.
This situation;
increasing mechanical wear and tear,
delaying periodic checks,
brake, tire, electrical wiring and engine systems.
This not only leads to accidents, but also to vehicle fires.
2. Decrease in the Average Experience and Age of Drivers
The decline of experienced captains in the industry and their replacement by younger drivers with less field experience is an issue that needs to be carefully examined.
Bus transportation is not an ordinary use of a vehicle.
Intercity bus driver;
reflex,
the ability to read the road,
crisis management,
the discipline to carry passenger psychology,
mastery of heavy vehicle characteristics
as well as advanced experience.
Lack of experience can have fatal consequences, especially when driving at night, in bad weather conditions and in sudden traffic jams.
3. Inadequate Rest and Rest Periods
One of the most critical causes of accidents is fatigue and loss of attention.
Reduced rest periods for drivers, long shifts, irregular break schedules and time pressure;
decreases the reaction time,
impairing the quality of decision-making,
increases the risk of microsleep,
causing fatal mistakes behind the wheel.
It should not be forgotten that;
The tired driver carries not only his own life but also the fate of dozens of passengers.
4. Road Infrastructure, Lighting and Physical Security Deficiencies
Not every accident is driver error.
In some regions;
inadequate lighting,
uneven ground,
missing barriers,
misdirection signs,
intersections creating blind spots,
highway and ring road sections with maintenance deficiencies
directly predispose to accidents.
The quality of the road and the lack of road safety equipment pose a serious risk, especially on night journeys and long straight lines.
5. Secret Passenger and Weakening of Control Mechanisms
There is a widespread belief that undercover passenger inspections, instant field controls and internal disciplinary mechanisms, which were used more effectively in the sector in the past, have weakened.
Lack of oversight has the following consequences:
increased speed violations,
driving indiscipline,
break irregularities,
violation of safety procedures,
ignoring in-vehicle equipment deficiencies.
When control is reduced, neglect normalizes.
6. Weakening of Personal Rights of Bus Personnel
In the sector, not only the technical condition of the vehicle but also the working conditions of the human resources are direct determinants of safety.
Failure of vehicle owners and operators to provide bus crews with adequate personal rights, social security, wage stability and professional dignity;
loss of motivation,
to the labor revolution,
qualified personnel moving away from the sector,
inexperienced cadres.
Safety is not just about the braking system;
It is also ensured by the value placed on labor.
7. Weakening of the Master-Apprentice System
For years, bus driving has been a profession learned not only with a driver's license but also with the master-apprentice tradition.
Road manners, vehicle sound listening culture, passenger management, crisis intuition, breakdown sense...
A significant part of this is learned in the field.
When this culture is weakened, the person behind the wheel may be able to drive but may not be able to captain a bus.
8. Inadequacy of Advanced Driving and Crisis Moment Trainings
Even though many drivers today drive heavy vehicles;
sudden maneuver control,
Balance on slippery ground,
directional protection in the event of a tire puncture,
brake loss scenario,
fire onset management,
passenger evacuation,
decision making under the stress of night vision
without professional training on vital issues such as the need to protect the health and safety of the population.
However, advanced driving techniques, crisis driving simulation and, if possible, special track trainings should be made compulsory for intercity bus drivers at regular intervals.
Vehicle Fires: The Silent Danger Ignored
Another topic that needs to be examined as carefully as bus accidents is vehicle fires.
Engine, electrical wiring, brake or tire fires on the road can turn into disasters in a matter of minutes.
At this point, the following questions must be asked:
Are the fire prevention systems of the vehicles adequate?
Are periodic electrical and motor installation checks carried out regularly?
Are fire extinguishers active and accessible?
Are staff trained in evacuation?
Is the passenger informed about the emergency?
Are fire detection/automatic suppression systems common on buses?
If the answer to these questions is not clear, the risk is great.
It's Time for Preventive Reform, Not Post-Incident Explanations
We hear similar sentences after every major accident:
“An investigation has been launched.”
“Under investigation.”
“Pending technical report.”
“Those who are negligent will be prosecuted.”
But here is the point:
Why do we always talk after the disaster has happened?
Real public administration is not about making statements after the fact;
is to secure the system before it happens.
Solution Suggestions: Urgent Action Plan Required
A comprehensive national safety standard for intercity bus transportation must now be established.
The following steps should be taken without delay:
1. Establish a National Bus Safety Review Commission
A permanent structure consisting of the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, Ministry of Interior, Police, Highways, insurance sector, professional chambers and independent experts should be established.
2. All Fatal / Chain Bus Accidents Should Be Independently Analyzed
For every event;
driver fatigue,
vehicle maintenance history,
tire and brake data,
digital tachograph records,
speed violations, break times,
internal work organization,
road infrastructure should be examined one by one.
3. Advanced Driving and Crisis Management Training Should Be Mandatory for Drivers
Do not get behind the wheel of an intercity bus without periodically renewed certified training.
4. Rest periods should be strictly monitored electronically
Tachograph and digital tracking systems should not be a mere formality, but should be monitored in real time.
5. Raise Vehicle Maintenance and Fire Safety Standards
In particular:
electrical installation,
engine compartment,
brake systems,
tire condition,
fire detection/suppression systems
mandatory additional inspections should be introduced.
6. Increase Mystery Passenger Inspections and Field Controls
Traveling as passengers, inspection staff should observe real driving discipline and company practices on the spot.
7. Personal Rights of Personnel should be improved
Low wages, overtime, social insecurity and devalued labor are direct security risks.
Working conditions should be improved to keep qualified captains in the sector.
8. Explain Risky Points in Road Infrastructure
Black spots where bus accidents are concentrated should be publicly reported and quickly improved.[2]
This is not a Transportation Issue, but a Public Safety Issue
Intercity bus transport is an essential transportation network used by millions of people every year.
Every negligence in this area is not just a company problem;
The life safety of society is directly related to the state's capacity for control and its understanding of public responsibility.
If there is no strong will for reform in the face of today's increasing number of accidents, deaths, chain collisions and vehicle fires;
Tomorrow we will read the same headlines, we will experience the same pain.
It is now necessary to say it clearly:
Safety in intercity bus transportation should be redefined, the sector should be thoroughly audited and human life should be prioritized over commercial speed pressure.
Because every bus carrying passengers is not just a vehicle.
Inside that bus is the child of a family, the prayer of a mother, the labor of a father, the future of a child.
And no negligence, no cost calculation, no supervision;
than a single human life.
Sources;
https://share.google/5sJXNWEOfXvzhv3kT
buses-causing-accidents-arastirilmasi.pdf https://share.google/5auVAzKwOzc886H53