Letter.

Letter Published in The National UAE on 3 oct19 Many factors go into road safety but start with vehicle maintenance  I write to you in reference to your editorial Minibus deaths highlight need for better safety (October 2).It is striking and indeed shocking that accidents as horrific as the one that killed eight on Monday can happen in a city as well run as Dubai. It goes to show that none of us can ever guarantee safety while travelling. Where I live, accidents are more commonplace. Unfortunately, some of them involve school buses. While driver negligence and poor traffic conditions are common causes in some of India’s crowded cities, reasons can wary from place to place. This is why I appreciate the fact that your editorial refused to blame any one person or organisation for the tragedy this week. That said, the health of the drivers and vehicle maintenance are important first steps that should be taken by transportation companies in order to improve road safety.K Ragavan, Bengaluru