Heartbroken: Oil Kaewprasert (centre) grieving during the funeral for her son, who was among those killed in the bus fire, in Uthai Thani. — Reuters
THE country’s Transport Ministry has given the Department of Land Transport (DLT) two months to inspect all passenger buses equipped with compressed natural gas (CNG) cylinders to ensure that they pass fire safety standards, Deputy Minister Surapong Piyachote said.
Ministry executives had met to discuss safety measures after the incident in which a gas-powered tour bus caught fire while transporting students in Pathum Thani province.
Of the 39 pupils and six teachers who were on board the vehicle, 20 pupils and three teachers died in the fire on Tuesday.
The bus was one of the three buses chartered by Wat Khao Phaya Sangkharam School in Uthai Thani to take young primary pupils and teachers on a sightseeing trip to Ayutthaya.
The DLT reported that 13,426 passenger buses in Thailand are registered as using CNG as fuel, the same as the ill-fated bus. Of these, 10,491 serve regular routes while 2,935 are chartered.
Surapong said the inspections must be completed in two months, or before the end of November.
He also ordered the DLT to draft a regulation requiring all bus drivers and staff to undergo safety and crisis management training.The DLT must coordinate with schools nationwide in ensuring that all buses used for school trips undergo proper inspection and pass safety standard checks before use.
The ministry ordered related agencies to consider revising the maximum years of service allowed for passenger buses to ensure road safety.
The move is in response to a police investigation which found that the bus in the accident was first registered on Feb 19, 1970, or 54 years ago. It was re-registered on Oct 26, 2018, due to modifications made to its chassis frame and changes to its dimensions.
Surapong said the ministry is also considering mandating all chartered buses to demonstrate safety procedures to passengers prior to every trip as is done on flights.
DLT director-general Jirut Wisaljit told the meeting that the bus with the licence plate 30-0423 Sing Buri was registered to an individual named Panisara Shinbutr, whose public transport operator licence has now been suspended.
He added that the current law mandates CNG-fuelled vehicles to undergo inspections twice a year, as gas canisters are susceptible to leakage and damage from vibration and friction.
According to the law, buses that are travelling under 300km per trip can serve up to 40 years. Those that travel between 300 and 500km per trip can serve up to 35 years, while buses that travel more than 500km per trip can serve up to 30 years.
Transport Ministry Permanent Secretary Chayatan Phromsorn said the ministry is setting up a panel to revise all regulations related to passenger buses. The committee will consist of representatives from the Council of Engineers and agencies involved in traffic and safety standards.
The discussions are expected to be concluded in 15 days, he added. — The Nation/ANN
