Buses screened for safety ahead of holiday weekend exodus

Interprovincial bus operator Transport Company said it is conducting safety inspections on its vehicles ahead of the upcoming long holiday weekend on October 12-14.

The safety alert comes after a bus operated by a different owner caught fire and killed 23 students and teachers on a school trip in northern Bangkok last week.  

Transport Co expects to carry over 90,000 people per day to their hometowns over the long weekend, acting president Atthawit Rakjamroon said on Monday.

He said inspectors and engineers were checking that buses and vans meet all safety and legal requirements. The team began checking vehicles at Bangkok’s Northern bus terminal (Mo Chit 2) on Monday and will screen those at the Southern and Eastern terminals on Thursday and Friday.

The checks will cover seat belts, fire extinguishers, safety hammers, emergency exits, and the vehicle’s structure, engine, fuel system, and tyres.

Vehicles that fail the inspection will either be repaired immediately or taken off the road, he said.

Transport Co said it had also issued handbooks on road safety and emergency evacuation to all its bus drivers and conductors, who have been instructed to advise passengers on safety measures.

Investigators probing the deadly bus inferno on October 1 found a leak from its compressed natural gas (CNG) cylinders had contributed to the tragedy.

The Transport Ministry has ordered inspections within two months of all 13,426 registered CNG-powered buses in Thailand. Of these, 10,491 serve regular routes while 2,935 are available for charter.

Monday (October 14) is a compensation holiday for His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great Memorial Day on Sunday.