Bus operators face harsher penalties for crashes

BANGKOK: -- The Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) has vowed to terminate the licences of bus operators whose drivers cause serious accidents. In the wake of repeated road accidents caused by passenger buses, BMTA director Poksak Sethabutr said yesterday that he would seek endorsement from the BMTA board on Nov 1 for harsher penalties against dangerous bus services.

He said a private bus would be grounded even if it was found to have caused an accident for the first time. A second accident would see the bus operator being served by a warning. A third accident will cost the bus operator its concession.

However, the BMTA would immediately terminate the concession if a bus driver made a very serious mistake like losing control at high speed, he said.

The BMTA is also stepping up other road safety measures by launching joint inspections with mobile police units to monitor the speed of the buses.

The BMTA would also guarantee that all private buses are insured.

--Bangkok Post 2005-10-29

I would also like to see the companies give their drivers more time to rest between journeys. Some drivers are driving for a 12 hour shift without any proper time to rest. Tiredness will always cause more accidents.

I should think so too. I used to take the bus from Hat Yai to Krabi every weekend and the drivers always drove like absolute morons, especially round those windy roads. The buses were always in crap condition and each time I had a heart stopping experience

And they were never on a set time limit, there was no reason to go so fast at all.