KMB Enhances Safety Devices on Buses

The provision of safe and reliable bus services has always been KMB's number one priority. In recent years, KMB has been upgrading the quality of safety glass on its buses. In addition to the enhancement of the windscreen on the upper saloon, KMB has also made improvements to the emergency exit on the upper saloon by using a single piece of toughened glass in contrast to the "open-close" window design of the past. KMB will now extend the improvement work to the emergency exit on the lower saloon. A new bonded-glass emergency exit will be adopted on the first batch of nine new buses, allowing passengers to leave the compartment efficiently and safely in case of emergency.

At present, KMB double-deck buses feature an emergency exit at the rear part of both the upper and the lower saloon. In contrast to the "safety door" design currently used on the lower saloon, the new exit is made of a piece of 5mm-thick toughened glass. A small hammer with easy-to-read instructions allows passengers to engage the exit and leave the bus compartment in case of emergency. The lower saloon emergency exit thus operates in the same way as the emergency exit on the upper saloon of new buses.

Toughened glass is strong and safe. Upon engagement, the glass will be fragmented into small, comparatively harmless particles with blunt edges. To further protect passengers, KMB has taken the initiative by laying a protective vinyl sheet on the glass, to which particles will stick in the event of damage. This application prevents passengers from coming into contact with the particles. In addition, the new emergency exit also features plastic edges on its four sides to protect passengers when evacuating.

Compared with the "safety-door" emergency exit, the new exit provides a larger space for passengers to evacuate through, while preventing children from playing with the door lock, thus enhancing passenger safety in its operation.

Mr. Kane Shum, KMB's Principal Engineer, Bus Engineering, demonstrated the use of the hammer to engage the exit on the bus