The language obstacle to safety !

A man is in gaol, three people are dead and fourteen are injured because of an accident that should not have happened.
On September 5, 2005 a twenty-four seat Hino bus carrying twenty-one Taiwanese passengers attempted to travel the notorious and highly dangerous Jamberoo Valley road . The driver, Hua Chun ( 45 ) had held an Australian driving license for less than three months - and a heavy vehicle driving license for less than five weeks. This driver did not speak or understand English !
The bus crashed at the bottom of a steep grade when it's brakes burnt out. This was because the driver failed to engage low gear or operate the exhaust braking system, required by law when heavy vehicles encounter steep descents. The bus hit the guard rail, toppled over and rolled into the valley below - resulting in death and injuries.
The entrance to the Jamberoo Valley road is well served by signs warning of danger and requiring car drivers to use caution. These signs clearly indicate that the road should not be used by coaches, caravans or heavy vehicles. Because this Chinese driver did not speak or understand English these signs failed to make him aware of the danger he was facing.
Now the question must be asked. Is it reasonable that a person who does not understand English be issued with a driving license - much less a license to drive a heavy vehicle ?
Consensus is that a driving license is reasonable because it relates to a car. Many people with no knowledge of English drive cars in Australia and Australians touring Europe have no problem with the road system - although it should be noted that because English is a universal language many European countries use bilingual road and destination signs.
The sticking point is the issue of a heavy vehicle license. Driving a heavy vehicle is akin to operating a battering ram - and that license also permits a non-English speaking person to drive a coach with many passengers.
The danger is just too great if a driver of a coach or other heavy vehicle is in unfamiliar territory and is unable to be warned of danger because of lack of knowledge of the English language.
It would not be unreasonable to expect a person who wishes to hold such a license to accept that as well as the training to operate such a vehicle a course to become proficient in English would also be a requirement.
Hopefully, this tragedy should cause a rethink of the relevant legislation to ensure that there is no repetition !