The report of the committee investigating the criminal failure of the authorities to protect drivers of cars with the potentially lethal Takata airbags was released on Tuesday. It highlighted the total disregard, if not contempt, of senior public officials for the people that pay their big salaries.
Although we have established a big, constantly expanding public sector over the years, a sector that pays very attractive salaries in order to attract capable people, we have failed spectacularly in one vital aspect – the cultivation of a culture of public service among these well-rewarded workers. The concept of public service is unknown in the rather inappropriately named public service, employees usually on a power-trip, believing that the best way to do their job is by making things as difficult as possible for people who have dealings with the state.
On the issue of the Takata airbags, however, the so-called technocrats of the Road Transport Department surpassed themselves. This was not just a case of causing inconvenience to people, but a case of their indifference/incompetence/irresponsibility putting lives at risk. The department was alerted to the risk posed by the airbags as far back as 2013 by the Consumer Protection Service and had received letters on the same issue from two individuals, but did nothing.
The heads of the department and those of the transport ministry, under whose authority it was, saw no reason to act to protect the public. All they did was prepare a circular in 2017 (that ministers claimed they never saw) which was sent to the car importers association informing them that they had no responsibility for recalls of cars that had been imported second-hand from third countries such as Japan and Singapore. Although there were thousands of such cars, fitted with Takata airbags, the road transport department and ministry, although aware of the problem, did not consider it necessary to do anything. And the indifference continued even after a man a was seriously injured when the airbag of his BMW exploded. BMW reached an out of court settlement and the victim signed an NDA.
The matter was completely forgotten until 2023 when the airbag killed Kyriacos Oxinos. Again the Road Transport Department officials did nothing. It was only when the parent of the young man alerted the current transport minister that action was eventually taken and only after a young woman was killed by an exploding airbag, some 19 months later! Suddenly everyone acknowledged the danger that the authorities conspired to sweep under the carpet simply because it meant less work.
According to the investigation, the Electrical Mechanical Service identified the problem but did not inform the road transport department or the ministry, because it did not want to interfere in the work of the police. And while the police received technical reports highlighting the dangers, they never informed the road safety council. Two young people were killed because of this systemic irresponsibility and indifference in a public service that knows nothing about serving the public.
Click here to change your cookie preferences