Reuters AlertNet Lite - The eyes have it for tired Chinese bus drivers

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The eyes have it for tired Chinese bus drivers

06 Feb 2007 03:39:04 GMT
Source: Reuters

BEIJING, Feb 6 (Reuters) - A Chinese city will check bus drivers for tiredness over the Lunar New Year holiday, making sure there are no dark bags under their eyes before they start their shift, a state newspaper said on Tuesday.

Chinese people are expected to make 2.2 billion trips -- most by road and by rail -- over the Spring Festival break when Chinese gather for family reunions, bringing one of the world's biggest mass movements of people.

Authorities in the southwestern metropolis of Chongqing will check the bus drivers' previous records for any "serious violations of traffic rules", the Beijing News said.

"They will also observe if the drivers have dark eye circles or if they look listless before departure," the newspaper said.

Fatigue is the norm among Chinese bus drivers during holiday peaks when they have to work back-to-back shifts as companies vie for passengers, mostly the 120 million migrant workers returning home to the countryside from booming cities.

Other problems include overloading, old vehicles and poor servicing.

A Chongqing long-distance bus crashed head on into another bus in the southern region of Guangxi on Saturday, killing 13 and injuring 75, Xinhua news agency said.

Accidents on China's roads, the most dangerous in the world, killed almost 100,000 people in 2005, or 270 a day.

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Last updated:Tue Feb 6 03:39:37 2007