Singapore forms bureau to investigate air, marine accidents

The bureau will be independent of and separate from any judicial or regulatory proceedings

Singapore has formed a new bureau to conduct investigations into air and marine accidents since August, said a Ministry of Transport (MOT) statement on Friday.

The new Transport Safety Investigation Bureau (TSIB) was restructured from the Air Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), Xinhua news agency reported.

It will be independent of and separate from any judicial or regulatory proceedings, and make recommendations to enhance the safety of air and sea transport, the statement said.

"Indeed, the sole objective of TSIB's investigations is the prevention of further accidents and incidents; they are not for the purposes of apportioning blame or liability. Countries such as Australia, Japan, Britain and the US have similar setups," the ministry said.

Since its formation in 2002, the AAIB has conducted and participated in investigations of various air accidents and incidents, and has contributed to improving the safety of air travel in Singapore.

TSIB, which will continue and build on the work of the AAIB, will take over from the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) the role of conducting independent safety investigations into marine accidents and incidents, and make recommendations to enhance the safety of sea transport.

MPA, in the meantime, will continue to investigate marine accidents and incidents for compliance with its regulations for ships operating within Singapore waters and ships under the Singapore flag.