Bangkok commuter vans busy after fleet culled

[webfact]

Bangkok commuter vans busy after fleet culled

By The Nation

 

 

The Victory Monument area in Bangkok was almost as bustling as usual on Monday morning, the first day of a ban on commuter vans older than 10 years.
 

For the most part, younger vehicles seamlessly filled the gaps left when, for safety reasons, some 1,000 vans were ordered taken out of service for public transportation.

 

Victory Monument is the capital’s main hub for catching a van around the city or upcountry and teems with vehicles and commuters.

 

Operators and drivers of decade-old vans deemed “expired” have not given up the fight to stay in business.

 

They were gathered at the Administrative Court on Monday morning to hear the judge’s verdict on their request for an emergency trial to force the Department of Land Transport to let them stay on the roads.

 

That decision had not been reported as of press time.

 

Janya Sumsap, who runs the Tor 85 van service, said only eight of her 38 vehicles were older than 10 years so the ban itself had little effect on her business.

 

But many commuters mistakenly believed that all vans would be banned, she said, so there was a noticeable drop in the number of passengers on Monday.

 

She put only 25 of her remaining 30 vans on the road that morning.

 

Bangkok University student Jitjutha Dantua said the reduced number of vans would affect her usual commute to and from school.

 

Apisamai Wimuktayan said she used the vans two or three times a week getting to and from home in the Lat Krabang area – a 45-minute ride compared to the three hours it takes by bus.

 

Apisamai agreed with the ban on older vans, but said the authorities should add more new vans to maintain the number available.

 

During the transition period, the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority has air-conditioned buses plying six routes at the same fare rate charged by vans.

 

There are currently 10 extra buses running between Min Buri and Chatuchak, Min Buri and Pakkred, Min Buri and Future Park Rangsit and the Victory Monument and Thammasat University Rangsit, 20 between the Victory Monument and Future Park Rangsit, and five between the Victory Monument and Muang Thong Thani.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30355541

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-10-01

[KhunBENQ]

A populist simplified idea to ban vehicles older than 10 years.

With proper checks on a 6 month basis there is no need for that.

 

And why apply to Bangkok vans only?

While at the same times people up here have to sit in age old scrap heap of coaches.

Kept together by duct tape and paint.

 

Populist: avoiding to tackle the real problems:

tight schedules

irresponsible drivers

endless shifts on speed

pay by the mile?

 

to be continued...

 

[Thian]

14 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

And why apply to Bangkok vans only?

While at the same times people up here have to sit in age old scrap heap of coaches.

Kept together by duct tape and paint.

 

Have you ever been to BKK? If an old vehicle breaks down on a busy road it's a HUGE problem for everyone...

 

The kwai on the roads upcountry can easy walk around a broken van.

[Brunovski]

37 minutes ago, Thian said:

 

Have you ever been to BKK? If an old vehicle breaks down on a busy road it's a HUGE problem for everyone...

 

The kwai on the roads upcountry can easy walk around a broken van.

It's not about the buffalos. What about if that old van roles down a mountain. It was maybe the last ride for the passengers. Not the entire country is flat. 

It's not an issue about creating traffic jam, but about peoples live. 

[blackhorse]

This is great news. The drivers of the banned vans now want a 5 year extension and when that expires they will want another 5!

 

The only way to deal with thais is lay down the law and do not give a single inch!

 

 

[robblok]

1 hour ago, KhunBENQ said:

A populist simplified idea to ban vehicles older than 10 years.

With proper checks on a 6 month basis there is no need for that.

 

And why apply to Bangkok vans only?

While at the same times people up here have to sit in age old scrap heap of coaches.

Kept together by duct tape and paint.

 

Populist: avoiding to tackle the real problems:

tight schedules

irresponsible drivers

endless shifts on speed

pay by the mile?

 

to be continued...

 

I think its easier to enforce end of life after 10 years the proper checks on a 6 month basis. Too much room for corruption. Anyway that is just my view why they do it this way.

[KhunBENQ]

1 minute ago, robblok said:

I think its easier to enforce end of life after 10 years the proper checks on a 6 month basis. Too much room for corruption. Anyway that is just my view why they do it this way. 

With no checks and proper maintenance they should scrap after three years

Sure it's easier to enforce such a simple rule and leave all the other problem unresolved.

To my opinion the drivers/work conditions are the biggest problems.

[robblok]

4 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

With no checks and proper maintenance they should scrap after three years

Sure it's easier to enforce such a simple rule and leave all the other problem unresolved.

To my opinion the drivers/work conditions are the biggest problems.

I agree, but this at least does something. Same problem with almost everything, the police is too lazy to really check things and enforce things. They have big actions.. and then.. nothing.. Stuff like this needs sustained action and the people in charge know that it wont happen so they go for this. 

 

To have sustained checks you need a better police force.

[PETERTHEEATER]

Do the math.

 

I know operators whos vans run a 500km round trip twice a day, 1000 kms. So one year 365,000 kms, ten years, 3,650,000 kms.

 

Yes, this is theoretical and even if you knock off 20 percent for down times you will see that even the reliable Toyota vans are not going to make 10 years without major component replacements.

 

The bigger operators schedule a maximum mileage for their vans and put them out for sale whilst they have some residual value, replacing them with new vehicles.

 

It will be interesting to see who is going into production of the 'mini buses' which the administration plan to replace the vans over the next couple of years.

[mok199]

Please come to Pattaya and weed out the smoke belching tour buses ,most are just disgusting

[Moti24]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Operators and drivers of decade-old vans deemed “expired” have not given up the fight to stay in business.

If these drivers had saved a bit of their earnings instead of splashing-out on Lao Khao, Yaba and Mia Nois, they would have been able to afford a new vehicle every 10 years.

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, KhunBENQ said:

A populist simplified idea to ban vehicles older than 10 years.

With proper checks on a 6 month basis there is no need for that.

 

And why apply to Bangkok vans only?

While at the same times people up here have to sit in age old scrap heap of coaches.

Kept together by duct tape and paint.

 

Populist: avoiding to tackle the real problems:

tight schedules

irresponsible drivers

endless shifts on speed

pay by the mile?

 

to be continued...

 

Completely disagree, after ten years of service these vans are only fit for the scrap heap, regardless of maintenance... they are worn-out !!!

Not just the mechanics but the seating etc etc are all well past their sell by date & time to replace them with modern vans with the latest technology and running efficiency.

Only an idiot would sympathise with these arguments that they are good for another 5 years !

[Sydebolle]

The next thing to "cull" would be all those reckless drivers high on god-only-knows-what. One way would be a (second) camera recording from behind the driver what he is doing as well as the basic vehicle measurements (speed, gear, acceleration, braking etc.). 

Last week I took a "taxi" from U-Tapao airport's mafia to Pattaya for B 250. Had to wait 90 minutes until the van was filled with 11 passengers and then the driver was off to race. Not only is the trip as such a misleading ripoff but the driver a serious nut head. I called the "taxi" counter back at U-Tapao upon arrival who said, that without the driver's name they would not be able to do anything (as mentioned, had to wait 90 minutes to fill a van and those clowns pretended their inability to pinpoint the driver due to hundreds of vans in circulation at the same time........