Expert slams govt for abandoning move requiring van operators to switch to microbus

[webfact]

Expert slams govt for abandoning move requiring van operators to switch to microbus

By The Nation

 

Picture of microbuses already used in interprovincial routes

 

The government has come under fire for the about-turn on its policy requiring public van transport operators to switch to buses.

 

Sonthi Kotchawat, a lecturer on environment and public health at many universities, criticised Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob for compromising public safety by changing the policy on mandatory change of vehicle.

 

Sonthi posted a message on his personal facebook page www.facebook.com/sonthi.kotchawat, criticising Saksayam’s decision as "unprofessional and made by an inexperienced leader who prioritises business entrepreneurs over the safety of public transport users".

 

“Vans are dangerous and cause five times more accidents than buses,” he said. “Accident statistics compiled by Road Safety Group Thailand show that in 2018 there were 75 van accidents, causing 314 injuries and 41 deaths. In the first half of 2019, vans caused 28 accidents, resulting in 27 deaths and 126 injuries. That’s roughly four deaths and 26 injuries per month.”

 

Sonthi also said that public transport vans were being misused from their original purpose. “These vans are designed for product transport. They have a weaker body structure than passenger vehicles, which are designed to withstand crash impact and prevent overturning to protect the passengers.”

 

The expert believes that microbuses are a more suitable choice for public transport and they should replace the current vans immediately. “Many foreign countries advocate the idea of using microbuses as a safer means of transport and were glad when Thailand planned to use them, but the transport minister’s decision clearly downgraded our public transport system from high-class to low-class,” he said.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30374605

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2019-08-12

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[pegman]

The "Suicide Van" lives on!

[jaltsc]

“Vans are dangerous and cause five times more accidents than buses,”

 

The only reason is that there are five times more vans on the road than there are micro buses.

 

So, he thinks that having incompetent, drunk, and over worked van drivers switching to driving a larger vehicle, without proper training (or in most cases, no training at all) will make things safer? You cannot make up this kind of stupid. Let the carnage begin!!!

 

[RichardColeman]

It's not the difference between the vans and the buses that makes a difference, it's the difference in the Thai drivers mentality of any vehicle

[leeneeds]

Commercial MDL, has to have the training or some extra formula to attest to the knowledge and skill of theses drivers, understanding the weights of these vehicles at speed, being able to drive to conditions. At some point the government has to implement    sound changes it just now feels, it is again in the too hard basket, sadly and for all those deaths that have come before nothing has been learned, 

what a waste.

[Odysseus123]

Gad-a Thai professional who dares criticize the Government of this enlightened Shangri-La..

 

I guess that this is the last we will be hearing from him for quite a while.

[gunderhill]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

“Vans are dangerous and cause five times more accidents than buses,” he said

Dont worry  though as when you put the same  driver into a microbus  Im pretty darn  sure they will up their accident rate to Minibus  levels,  just able to maim and  kill  more in one shot!

Clueless.

[mok199]

Yes most of the vans have the suspension lowered allowing them to ''handle better'' which means ''go faster ''.....

[OneMoreFarang]

I wonder how that statistic would change if all Thai van drivers would switch to mini busses. I would be surprised if they change their driving style is a new vehicle.

[wreckingcountry]

Thai Gov don’t give a **** about Thai people ! Witness the election


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[Vacuum]

16 minutes ago, mok199 said:

Yes most of the vans have the suspension lowered allowing them to ''handle better'' which means ''go faster ''.....

Nah, the 'lowered suspension' is due to the drivers habit to overload the vans with passengers and cargo.

[Chang_paarp]

25 minutes ago, mok199 said:

Yes most of the vans have the suspension lowered allowing them to ''handle better'' which means ''go faster ''.....

Do you really think the van owners are going to pay money to lower the suspension? Overloaded, and sagging or collapsed due to lack of maintenance is how the they get that "cool" lowered look.

[unamazedloso]

Micro buses have a fixed speed limit perhaps given the reason van drivers dont want them?

[Benmart]

3 hours ago, jaltsc said:

“Vans are dangerous and cause five times more accidents than buses,”

 

The only reason is that there are five times more vans on the road than there are micro buses.

 

So, he thinks that having incompetent, drunk, and over worked van drivers switching to driving a larger vehicle, without proper training (or in most cases, no training at all) will make things safer? You cannot make up this kind of stupid. Let the carnage begin!!!

 

I believe his credentials speak for themselves. I didn't read that he said, "...having incompetent, drunk, and over worked van drivers switching to driving a larger vehicle, without proper training (or in most cases, no training) will make things safer...". That is an assumption on your part it seems, therefore, your statement that "he thinks" a certain way is defective.

 

While your comment may have some merit, where do you lecture, other than on TVF? Can you provide a research paper on the microbus numbers as they relate to the story in general?

[Curt1591]

Can't wait for the microbuses dropping off and picking up passengers. They will be able to block far more lanes that a simple shuttle van!

[Aussie999]

Interestingly, he gives stats for vans, but not for buses.... seems he has an agenda.

[30la]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Sonthi Kotchawat, a lecturer on environment and public health at many universities, criticised Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob for compromising public safety by changing the policy on mandatory change of vehicle.

Strange but true, all vehicles used for the transport of schoolchildren and for short distances can be old, battered and without any security, so also the buses for 40 pax up, when you make a reform both for vehicles and for the education of those responsible ?

[mikebell]

Laws are made and broken in Thailand according to the baht's worth; it is NEVER about saving lives.

[jaiyen]

1 hour ago, gunderhill said:

Dont worry  though as when you put the same  driver into a microbus  Im pretty darn  sure they will up their accident rate to Minibus  levels,  just able to maim and  kill  more in one shot!

Clueless.

You obviously know nothing about what you are saying. I regularly use the micro buses and The drivers have received good training before being allowed to drive them. They have told me that they are drug and alcohol tested, the vans are limited on speed and have to make regular stops at their roadside offices to check in. The drivers have all been nice and polite and the comfort level is great. I was also told that the majority of the old mini vans would never get a job driving micro buses. So part of the problem is already solved. Now you have a choice !

[thailand49]

What is true is the person don't have any experience or clue!

It really doesn't matter what is driven if the operator bring with them the same murderess mentality! It is like giving the operator a bigger gun.

To reduce the problem, every driver hired must have a through background check, can't since there isn't a national data based. Then drivers must be special trained they are not working for themselves but working and representing a company that it is a privilege and not a right to drive for a living and if abused that privilege is taken away.

Then the commission based wage if exist must be gone, companies need to carry proper insurance and have records available for each vehicle daily and drivers must use these logs to inspect the vehicle prior to hitting the road each day any major items the vehicle must be taken out of service and drivers aren't force to take vehicle out that are unsafe.

There must be mandatory unannounced inspection of these records and random testing of drivers but of course nothing works without enforcement from agencies and ghost inspection of those agencies to reduce the corruption in the industry creating doubt is the key. The current system in Thailand for nearly everything " honor system " just doesn't work. Repeated offender must be penalized heavily removed or even closed down and heavy payout to victims even if the company has to be liquidated that will be a good start to change the culture here.

There will never be a device or technology in my lifetime that can prevent the murderess mentality of a human behind the wheel.  It is really simple but here official don't have a clue which is why things will never change.

 

[graemeaylward]

So all those companies that complied with the law and changed to new bus vehicles have wasted their money because of the unwillingness of Enforcers and Thai Government to stick to the laws that they make! It's the same with passengers in the back of pickup trucks. "Let's make a new law to protect people and improve road safety" "Oh no, let's ignore that law as it inconveniences some!" And then suddenly, years down the road, someone will decide to enforce a law that is still on the statute books but no one has ever enforced. (TM30 anyone?) The U.K. also has some old laws that are never enforced these days e.g. It is an offence to beat or shake a carpet or rug in the street! Town Police Clauses Act 1847 section 28 :-)


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[sammieuk1]

Micro busses will just encourage micro sleepers as brake failure seams to be fading a lot now ????  

[thailand49]

3 minutes ago, jaiyen said:

You obviously know nothing about what you are saying. I regularly use the micro buses and The drivers have received good training before being allowed to drive them. They have told me that they are drug and alcohol tested, the vans are limited on speed and have to make regular stops at their roadside offices to check in. The drivers have all been nice and polite and the comfort level is great. I was also told that the majority of the old mini vans would never get a job driving micro buses. So part of the problem is already solved. Now you have a choice !

Everything you say is true!  But there is room for everyone including the Van drivers the problem is as you noted the requirement must be placed across the board so why Van drivers aren't? If the government said we what to reduce emission or put less traffic on our roads that would make sense by placing these buses on the road.

In the States business that use Van carrying passengers must have a Commercial Class B, passenger endorsement training with all the things you mentioned above for these mirco buses if this country can have anything they want but enforcement is the key which doesn't really exist the way it suppose to be to reduce the problem that exist here. There can be real choice and competition but everyone must be under the same rule. 

As for speed I'm in favor of using anything that puts safety first for example many are set at 90 KM/H the bell goes off when the speed is exceeded but what happens if a driver decides to take a turn that is marked for 30 at 70? What should be done when a bus brand new is modified by the transport company beyond the height limit that puts the bus in a unsafe level unbalanced while taking a turn then blame it on a untrained driver? 

The answer have always been at the finger tips of this government if they want to make a lot of noise which they have been doing and no enforcement for any of their ideas then nothing is going to change.

[LazySlipper]

4 hours ago, jaltsc said:

Let the carnage begin!!!

Rather... "let the carnage continue!"

[holy cow cm]

Over the years I have been in these commuter vans and the private rental ones more times than I would like out of a must, and it seems to me it is a specific mentality of Thai drivers on the whole that needs to be changed. Van driver must go faster and over pack the back to the gills (reason I do not know), and Thai man in expensive car or 4 x 4 truck has bigger gonads so has right to the road. But don't make them mad as they will chase and try to fight you.

 

If you ask me, the only responsible Thai drivers drive container or gasoline trucks.

[cerox]

Foolish criticism. He should know better how his country works and the things you do not do.

[klauskunkel]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

“These vans are designed for product transport. They have a weaker body structure than passenger vehicles, which are designed to withstand crash impact and prevent overturning to protect the passengers.”

Which of the two are designed to prevent brake failure?

Thought so...

[Airbagwill]

It is a symptom of many Thai administrations to simply ban anything they see as a problem....this is often dine whilst over looking at the underlying causes or the future ramifications.

Banning of vans did not look at the whole picture, did not have sufficient statistical evidence and was so impractical it was mind-bogglingly incinceivable that anyone in their right mind would adopt it. For a moment though some politicians thought it might make them look good.... until common sense prevailed.

 

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Sonthi posted a message on his personal facebook page www.facebook.com/sonthi.kotchawat, criticising Saksayam’s decision as "unprofessional and made by an inexperienced leader who prioritises business entrepreneurs over the safety of public transport users".

Got it in one !!

 

[Paul Henry]

Converted delivery vans are illegal in many countries to be used as people movers,they do not have inbuilt roll over bars and braking standard is lower than whats require to transport passengers. Would love to know who is paying whom to reverse this law. Responsibilty to carry out ones roll in Government is not why these ministers get their job.