webfact Posted August 2, 2016 Share Posted August 2, 2016 Transport Ministry mulls replacing passenger vans with mini buses BANGKOK: -- The Transport Ministry plans to commission the Transport Institute of Chulalongkorn University to study the feasibility of replacing passenger vans with mini buses to cater to the need of passengers travelling from one province to another. The move follows an instruction from the National Council for Peace and Order for relevant agencies to study the possibility to use mini buses to replace passenger vans which are regarded as unsafe. Transport deputy permanent secretary Daroon Saengchai said that, previously, mini buses were used to service passengers on inter-provincial routes and it was proven that they are safer than passenger vans if the vehicles are not modified and not overloaded with passengers beyond the limits. Land Transport deputy director-general Chiroot Visarnchit, meanwhile, said that, initially while the feasibility study is not yet completed, some mini buses with 18-20 seats would be introduced for trial run on certain routes between Bangkok and some provinces. Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/174704-2/ -- Thai PBS 2016-08-03 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craigt3365 Posted August 3, 2016 Share Posted August 3, 2016 How about just regulate the vans better? A 1,000 Baht fine for drug use or a crash is a bit low. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NongKhaiKid Posted August 3, 2016 Share Posted August 3, 2016 Mini-buses may be ' safer ' but what about the drivers ? Their bad habits never change no matter what they drive and regulation is from poor to non-existent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craigt3365 Posted August 3, 2016 Share Posted August 3, 2016 5 minutes ago, NongKhaiKid said: Mini-buses may be ' safer ' but what about the drivers ? Their bad habits never change no matter what they drive and regulation is from poor to non-existent. Spot on. The same could be said of all forms of public transport. How many big bus accidents do we see? Terrible safety record here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thian Posted August 3, 2016 Share Posted August 3, 2016 36 minutes ago, craigt3365 said: How about just regulate the vans better? A 1,000 Baht fine for drug use or a crash is a bit low. Exaclty, just restrict the engines of their vans so they can't go faster than 90. It will save many lives. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SABloke Posted August 3, 2016 Share Posted August 3, 2016 ".. proven that they are safer than passenger vans if the vehicles are not modified and not overloaded with passengers beyond the limits." So if used correctly they are not inherently "unsafe" compared to mini buses. It won't mean jack shit though if they use the same drivers though, because everyone (except the fine folks at the Transport ministry is seems) knows that they are real danger...coupled with an ineffective police force unable and unwilling to actively police any sector of society and thus quite possibly the indirect root of 99% of this country's problems Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maoro2013 Posted August 3, 2016 Share Posted August 3, 2016 Another knee jerk reaction to an issue that could be solved in other ways. It's starting to become a 'Big Brother' country where all decisions taken by the government, don't worry about what anyone wants. As usual the decision makers here probably do not have much, or any, real experience of the things they are trying to legislate about at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samjaidee Posted August 3, 2016 Share Posted August 3, 2016 What's the difference between a passenger van and a minibus? I presume I should know but a photo in the article would have helped. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigBadGeordie Posted August 3, 2016 Share Posted August 3, 2016 17 minutes ago, samjaidee said: What's the difference between a passenger van and a minibus? I presume I should know but a photo in the article would have helped. An accident in a passenger van has the potentiential to kill 11-13 people and one in a mini bus the potential to kill 18-20. Assuming they are not overloaded, which is a big assumption. Same Same But different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poohy Posted August 3, 2016 Share Posted August 3, 2016 But but but i see a fatal flaw ......the same idiots will be driving them! so congratulations any crash and MORE people die Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveAustin Posted August 3, 2016 Share Posted August 3, 2016 Please replace the drivers, too; preferably with robots; heck even a 12 year old kid would do better... oh wait! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nausea Posted August 3, 2016 Share Posted August 3, 2016 That'll cost a bit, nudge, nudge, wink, wink. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
williamgeorgeallen Posted August 3, 2016 Share Posted August 3, 2016 will they keep the same drivers? whats the point? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuchulainn Posted August 3, 2016 Share Posted August 3, 2016 Same ar$eholes, different vehicles. So what? Expecting a reduction in road fatalities? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ratcatcher Posted August 3, 2016 Share Posted August 3, 2016 3 hours ago, samjaidee said: What's the difference between a passenger van and a minibus? I presume I should know but a photo in the article would have helped. A good question. I googled mini bus and here's the result. The vans used in Thailand qualify as mini buses. https://www.google.co.th/search?q=minibus&rlz=1C1GNAM_enTH684TH684&espv=2&biw=1360&bih=643&site=webhp&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi9lpq8tqTOAhWLLo8KHR4tDJoQ_AUIBigB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dageurreotype Posted August 3, 2016 Share Posted August 3, 2016 4 hours ago, NongKhaiKid said: Mini-buses may be ' safer ' but what about the drivers ? Their bad habits never change no matter what they drive and regulation is from poor to non-existent. They're most certainly not 'safer'. I don't know any Thai who doesn't prefer the larger inter province passenger buses 'they drive too fast and whip in and out of traffic'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caveat Emptor Posted August 3, 2016 Share Posted August 3, 2016 A lot of thought has gone into this it seems so simply changing bus types will reduce accidents ? Another example of the thought process of Thai officialdom. Buses don't drive themselves so giving the nutters that do a new style of vehicle will improve them ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trainman34014 Posted August 3, 2016 Share Posted August 3, 2016 As they are all driven by drunken, stoned, arrogant boneheads mainly ignorant of all road laws.....how will this help ? What's needed is a special driving instructional course for all public service vehicle drivers who would then be granted a special license for this type of vehicle once they passed both written and practical tests. Of course; we know it will never happen in the next several decades ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PETERTHEEATER Posted August 3, 2016 Share Posted August 3, 2016 A van is a vehicle without windows. The current so called 'vans' are mini-buses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boycie Posted August 3, 2016 Share Posted August 3, 2016 12 hours ago, samjaidee said: What's the difference between a passenger van and a minibus? I presume I should know but a photo in the article would ha Not 100% sure, but is this what they are talking about? Passenger Van Minibus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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