Transport minister says drivers, not vans, are key threat to passenger safety

[30la]

I think 70% is the irresponsible way to drive, 30% maintenance often does not exist!

[Arne Robert]

Guns never kill people, but the man behind the trigger. 

[pattayadgw]

Wow... a minister finally speaking some truth.  Having recently been through the hoops again for my car and bike license renewal i can honestly say (as us expats already know) the driving test / examination system needs to be dismantled and rebuilt.  I first sat there at the brake reflex / test gizmo and them the colored lights changing and having to identify what color they were before proceeding to the one hour video.  I tried to maintain concentration as best i could during the video (it was all car and not bike) and mentally noted there was no mention of wearing seatbelts, no mention of not using handphones +++.  There were only 5 expats present with the remainder being Thai.  At the end of it all i thought to myself how pathetic it was that people who have a 5 year license and only want to renew have to endure this... total waste of time / resources.

[Geoffggi]

17 hours ago, webfact said:

His about-turn on the ministry's policy was because the operators would have to import microbuses from other countries at high prices, he said, adding that this could backfire on Thai commuters as the operators would have to increase fares to compensate for the higher vehicle cost.

This is absolute BS, with the strength of the baht there will never be a better time to purchase from abroad so what is he talking about..? One of the main problems with the minibuses is the speed they are capable of travelling at which in turn results in most of the minibus drivers driving like lunatics on steroids, therefore a larger slower coach which should be governed down so the maximum top speed is within the maximum allowed for a vehicle of this type by law, and you would see a dramatic reduction in accidents involving buses of this type. 

[newnative]

     Yes, bad driving is a big factor but there's no denying that, in an accident, you're more likely to die if you're in a flimsy van designed for cargo with few exits rather than a microbus designed to carry passengers.  Believing you'll be able to change driver behavior is really Pollyanna thinking so why not at least put passengers in sturdier, safer vehicles designed for that purpose.  I don't want to be in either but, given a choice, I'd rather be in a microbus with a bad driver rather than a van with a bad driver.  I'm seeing a traffic jam of vans packed with brown envelopes.  

[Da Nang]

No comments.

[Hockeybik]

"drivers, not vans, are key threat to passenger safety"...duh

[Hockeybik]

5 minutes ago, newnative said:

     Yes, bad driving is a big factor but there's no denying that, in an accident, you're more likely to die if you're in a flimsy van designed for cargo with few exits rather than a microbus designed to carry passengers.  Believing you'll be able to change driver behavior is really Pollyanna thinking so why not at least put passengers in sturdier, safer vehicles designed for that purpose.  I don't want to be in either but, given a choice, I'd rather be in a microbus with a bad driver rather than a van with a bad driver.  I'm seeing a traffic jam of vans packed with brown envelopes.  

I'll take my chances with a good driver, thank you.

[manchega]

were one to urinate on the minister from his desk how long would it take for the message to sink in?

 

 

[manchega]

23 minutes ago, newnative said:

     Yes, bad driving is a big factor but there's no denying that, in an accident, you're more likely to die if you're in a flimsy van designed for cargo with few exits rather than a microbus designed to carry passengers.  Believing you'll be able to change driver behavior is really Pollyanna thinking so why not at least put passengers in sturdier, safer vehicles designed for that purpose.  I don't want to be in either but, given a choice, I'd rather be in a microbus with a bad driver rather than a van with a bad driver.  I'm seeing a traffic jam of vans packed with brown envelopes.  

yes I have seen us drivers before and you are not much better than the average thai

[kcpattaya]

AMAZING!!!!
That is PURE rocket-science!!!!
 

[hotchilli]

18 hours ago, webfact said:

His about-turn on the ministry's policy was because the operators would have to import microbuses from other countries at high prices, he said, adding that this could backfire on Thai commuters as the operators would have to increase fares to compensate for the higher vehicle cost.

Complete and utter rubbish... the guy is backing down to pressure from those who would wish things to remain as they are... drive the old vans into the ground before changing.

Micro-buses are designed to carry passengers... unlike mini-vans which are designed to carry cargo.

I agree the drivers are the problem... he got that correct, but in the event of an accident the passenger has more protection in a bus than a tin can!!!

As for the costs if they are licenced for use over 10 years more than enough money will be made to cover purchase costs & profit margins !

As for extending the life of mini-vans another 2 years to 12 years those vans are literally worn out and the owners are just trying to flog the last gasp out of them rather than provide modern, safe vehicles !

The guy has no spine !!

 

[Bangkok Barry]

Mind boggling that he had to state the obvious. It's the drivers to blame, not the vans. A three-year-old would know that.

 

Also mind boggling that the government makes a rule, those it affects say they don't like it because it would cost them money etc, and the government says 'okay then'. Age of vans. using mini buses instead of vans, don't ride in the bed of pickups, whatever. You simply cannot discipline a Thai. They will always, always do exactly what they want to do, often regardless of the consequences (driving, motorcyclist helmets etc etc etc)

[geoffrobbo]

18 hours ago, overherebc said:

They, governers, could be an answer but they would have to be spanner proof.

 

Spanner proof or 500 Baht proof

[rocketdave]

I fear that many on this topic are right, he's talking sense, logic and truth, he hasn't got a prayer of a long stay in office.

[TigerandDog]

17 hours ago, FarFlungFalang said:

If the vans where fitted with GPS system that where sealed from tampering then the recording of the info could determine speeds between any 2 points,if any van is found to have been speeding actions can be taken against the offending companies and drivers.

The mini vans that run between Chiang Mai and Fang ( VIP company ) are now all fitted with a GPS system that records speed and time taken for the trip.  About 3 years ago every driver with this company was sacked, and only rehired if they passed an actual driving test conducted by an international driving examiner. The trip to Chiang Mai is now no longer a scary experience, but actually an relaxing and pleasant one.  More transport operators need to implement what VIP have done with their mini vans.

[ubon farang]

18 hours ago, colinneil said:

Saksayan you should apply to be on mastermind.

If he had not come out with that bloody ridiculous comment, nobody would have been aware that it is the pathetic driving standards to blame, and not the vans.

Name one non 3rd world country where a thai driver would pass the driving test. They would not even get to the part to start the engine because they would forget to put on there safety belts lol

[marko kok prong]

16 hours ago, mercman24 said:

what an utterly stupid thing to say, we all know its the vans fault every single time, wet road, bad, van slow down, brakes fail, bad van why your brakes not work, driver asleep, bad van, why you not toot horn wake me up, and the list goes on, i would like to know after all these years they came to this conclusion, oh i know, they had a meeting, they very good at holding meetings here, now form a committee.and next year they will be wringing their collective hands ,saying, what went wrong.

Agree,meetings ,a committee, and a conclusion that it should stay as it is.

[brian2f2f]

19 hours ago, PJPom said:

This chap will not last very long, he actually told the TRUTH ! that will never do.

we have seen that too many times. those in political or powerful positions who speak the truth don't last long here. but congrats to him for actually speaking the truth and admitting the problem is Thais and the fact they straight up can't drive safely instead of blaming everything but the problem. 

[Srikcir]

19 hours ago, webfact said:

Saksayam also earlier this month assigned a feasibility study to extend the use of decade-old public transport vans to a maximum of 12 years from the current 10, after operators demanded it be raised to 15 years. He insisted that control over the allowable age of transport vehicles would be stricter. 

September 2018:

https://www.nationthailand.com/national/30355146

• Colonel Sombat Thanyawan, deputy commander of King’s Guard’s Second Cavalry Division, told a press conference at the Department of Land Transport yesterday that vans more than 10 years old must not be allowed to run on Bangkok streets because they are unsafe, pollute the air and are not insured, which leaves passengers at risk.
• Operators petitioned Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday, asking him to consider extending the working life of vans from 10 to 15 years if the vehicles were still in good condition. 
• the LTD and relevant authorities insist old vans must be taken out of service to ensure public safety. 

Whether the operators were correct or not about the capability of their 10 year+ old minibuses can operate safely isn't the ultimate issue because now it's about politics.

PM Prayut had approved the ban and made a number of allowances for their removal to preserve public convenience and minimize operator costs for the switch. Now Prayut is being asked to reverse himself, seemingly without any private brief from the Transport Minister to resolve operator complaints before the Minister went public.

I can see Prayut offering more incentives for the operators to comply with the ban rather than reversing himself. That's what he did with fishing boat owners who either had their fleet numbers cut because of IUU compliance and/or required fleet upgrades because of a newly ratified ILO convention 188. The owners had demanded exemption and threatened to strike.

[1duckyboy]

Switching to mini buses without better drivers will only result in more passengers killed or injured per accident. 

 

It appears when an accident is investigated and there are no skid marks, it is attributed to brake failure, when the real cause was asleep at the wheel. 

[Artisi]

2 hours ago, MRToMRT said:

In spite of all the dangerous driving I have seen here (and its not just minibuses) I have never seen a police vehicle stop any of them.

 

 

Why would the police stop then, they (police) wouldn't have a clue that anything was wrong, dangerous,  or any law was being broken. 

[AlQaholic]

Being on the road frequently, I see the occurrence of "Stupid crazy van driver" has definitely decreased over the years, at least for the routes I drive on. Most vans I see nowadays drive disciplined and at legal speeds, after some horrific van accidents in the period 2005 - 2010 if I remember correctly, with the compulsory outcry and corrective measures. Some do tailgate often, but that is an endemic problem with all Thai drivers. Then you have the occasional lunatic, usually in a brand new van, coming up behind you at 150 km/hour, tailgating just meters behind you and after a while wildly swerving over to the adjacent lane without using the turn indicator, and flooring it. This happens most often on the Bkk - Chonburi motorway, I guess with a bunch of terrified farang from Kao-san road. 

[Libai]

It is about time that the truth was recognised, after all it is the nut behind the wheel that is the danger not the vehicle.

[essox essox]

20 hours ago, Snuller21 said:

First time that I hear that. But so true. Give the drivers a driving test, and see how few will qualify. Maybe one in 20. And then no more Brake Failures.

they would not pass a comprehensive driving test here.....and how does one stop a Thai driver from falling asleep or driving all drugged up???!!!

[newnative]

2 hours ago, Hockeybik said:

I'll take my chances with a good driver, thank you.

    Yes, who wouldn't but why should it be an 'either or' proposition?  Either you can have safer drivers or safer vehicles--which do you want?  Umm.  I'd like both, please.

[essox essox]

1 minute ago, Libai said:

It is about time that the truth was recognised, after all it is the nut behind the wheel that is the danger not the vehicle.

all vehicles are suppose to have a good test carried out on them IF OVER 7 years old, then same test be carried out yearly.....AND I AGREE it is the idiot behind the wheel who generally causes deaths and accidents .....

[essox essox]

1 hour ago, ubon farang said:

Name one non 3rd world country where a thai driver would pass the driving test. They would not even get to the part to start the engine because they would forget to put on there safety belts lol

simple THEY WOULD NOT PASS a westernised style driving test....

[newnative]

2 hours ago, manchega said:

yes I have seen us drivers before and you are not much better than the average thai

   I don't drive in Thailand--and certainly not a transport van--so this American is not contributing to the accident rate.  

[Caldera]

A Thai minister who has a brain and tells the truth, how refreshing.