Should express bus operators be accountable for things placed in luggage compartment?

 

ON Mar 9, a news portal published “We’re not responsible for missing luggage, says bus firm”, and followed up with another report on Mar 15 “We are not responsible for undeclared, unchecked baggage, says bus operator”.

The above statements were made by the same bus operator after a bag belonging to a visually impaired man kept in the luggage compartment was found missing, along with a watch, a gold ring and locket, plus some cash and clothes.

The passenger was making a trip from Kuala Lumpur to Kamunting and had switched buses at Ipoh but the windscreen was shattered before arrival and passengers got down to retrieve their bags from the luggage compartment, and he found one of his two bags missing.

The passenger was travelling with two other family members. Surely, if he had any valuables or cash with him, they should be hand carried and not kept in a bag to be placed in the luggage compartment, which is an unguarded common space shared by other passengers.

When travelling on express buses, I do not bring a heavy suitcase that must be kept in the luggage compartment. Whenever I flew to Langkawi, Penang, Kuching or Kota Kinabalu to conduct training, I had no checked-in luggage to delay my speedy exit from the airport.

The only time I brought a large suitcase when flying was when I had to stay in Langkawi for three weeks to participate in a training programme with delegates from seven other Asean countries.

When I arrived in Honolulu in 1990, I noticed that passengers could only leave the airport after security personnel had matched passengers’ receipts with the baggage tags fastened to the luggage. Until today, this is not done in many airports around the world, including Malaysia.

Without this security measure, some passengers could intentionally or accidentally pick up a suitcase similar to theirs and walk out of the airport unchecked. But such cases are rare and could later be traced by many CCTVs. But it would be too difficult for normal express bus operations.

In the 1970s, there were only low-deck and no hi-deck tour buses with a luggage compartment built under the passenger floorboard. But they were very comfortable with air-conditioning and air-suspension.

Whenever there were many passengers on board and not enough room in the bus to store all the luggage, a Volkswagen Kombi will be used as a baggage van for the transfer from Subang Airport to a Kuala Lumpur hotel, or even to outstation such as Cameron Highlands and Penang.

In 1975, an embassy hired a minibus for transport from Subang airport to a city hotel. As usual, the tourist guide informed the group that the luggage will be transported by a baggage van. Somehow, an elderly woman also placed her hand-carry bag in the van.

Upon arrival at the hotel, the bag containing valuables was found missing and a police report was made by the embassy. The police immediately took action and detained the tourist guide, who had to spend a harrowing night in the lockup.

Whatever system in place, there will always be some odd cases and complaints, as not everyone will be sensible or predictable. In any case, passengers do not get any discount if they do not make use of the luggage compartment, which is a facility they can use without charge.

The idiom “I am not my brother’s keeper” means I am not responsible for what someone does or for what happens to them.

Similarly, bus operators could also declare “We are not your luggage keeper”, as the facility to transport bags in the luggage compartment is offered free of charge.

YS Chan is master trainer for Mesra Malaysia and Travel and Tours Enhancement Course and an Asean Tourism Master Trainer. He is also a tourism and transport business consultant.

The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of  MMKtT.

- Focus Malaysia.