Bus drivers ignoring new BMTA regulation for better safety and service

[Lite Beer]

Bus drivers ignoring new BMTA regulation for better safety and service

BANGKOK, 17 May 2014 (NNT) – The Bangkok Mass Transit Authority's (BMTA) new regulation calling for all buses to keep to the left lane and for them to stop at all bus stops came into effect on Friday, and many instances of violation were observed.

The BMTA was enforcing the new regulation in hopes of reducing bus accidents and improving safety and quality of service. It had aimed to cut the number of accidents and the number of complaints about bus service in Bangkok by half, within a period of 5 months.

Numerous bus drivers were seen ignoring the new regulation on Friday, also the first day of classes for many schools in Bangkok. Such offense by BMTA drivers was subject to penalties that range from disciplinary action, salary cuts, to reduction of pay grade; the severity depended on whether the offense was intentional, and the number of times the offender violated the regulation.

For privately-operated buses, violations would entail fines.

-- NNT 2014-05-17

[Totster]

Well, there's a surprise...

totster

[petedk]

They could start by trying to keep the buses on the left side of the road.

The last few days I have driven through the Dusit area and daily I see buses driving on the wrong side of the road forcing on-coming cars to stop and move over.

[Tatsujin]

They could start by trying to keep the buses on the left side of the road.

The last few days I have driven through the Dusit area and daily I see buses driving on the wrong side of the road forcing on-coming cars to stop and move over.

The Bangkok Mass Transit Authority's (BMTA) new regulation calling for all buses to keep to the left lane and for them to stop at all bus stops . . .

[pookiki]

If you can't reform bus drivers, who can you reform? It might be a good idea to pay them by the hour instead of by the 'round trip'. Oh, and a strict enforcement of cars/trucks/vans stopping and blocking bus stops might help as well.

Edited May 17, 2014 by pookiki

[toonsai]

The land of jokes. Failed State + laws never enforced + corrupted police = chaos = anarchy = TIT = It will never change.

[Lancelot]

Thai drivers ignoring the rules? Gee, I've never experienced that

[lee b]

Nothing new here then, they ignored all the previous rules as well

[phosphorescent]

The land of jokes. Failed State + laws never enforced + corrupted police = chaos = anarchy = TIT = It will never change.

And that's the way we like it.

[winstonc]

its all down to lazy people not enforcing the rules

[robblok]

If you can't reform bus drivers, who can you reform? It might be a good idea to pay them by the hour instead of by the 'round trip'. Oh, and a strict enforcement of cars/trucks/vans stopping and blocking bus stops might help as well.

We can dream, where i live taxi's and minivans always block the bus stops forcing buses to stop in the middle. Often of a 4 lane road 1 or two roads are usable near bus station. The culprits are minivans and taxi's. Only at rush hour will you see a cop forcing the taxis and minivans away and only at crowded places. Those selfish people make it harder for everyone.

Your suggestions are great pay them by the hour because if round trip they are forced to break the rules. But this being Thailand its easier to stop motorcycles instead of going after real problems.

[Payboy]

Why not just move the left lane to the middle of the road?

[jaltsc]

"...the severity depended on whether the offense was intentional..."

When it comes to driving in Thailand, nothing appears to be intentional. They just get in or on a motor vehicle and go, without any awareness that there are other people on the road.

Edited May 17, 2014 by jaltsc

[Elmer Gantry]

MMarlow I am interested on your take on this topic and still awaiting your answer on my last question.I am a patient man.I will wait untill hell freezes over.

[fab4]

Perhaps they could cone off the bus lane and get PDRC guards to enforce it?

[NongKhaiKid]

They could start by trying to keep the buses on the left side of the road.

The last few days I have driven through the Dusit area and daily I see buses driving on the wrong side of the road forcing on-coming cars to stop and move over.

The Bangkok Mass Transit Authority's (BMTA) new regulation calling for all buses to keep to the left lane and for them to stop at all bus stops . . .

King Canute comes to mind.

[Bluespunk]

"the severity depended on whether the offense was intentional, and the number of times the offender violated the regulation."

Hard to see how driving in the wrong lane isn't intentional.

[petedk]

They could start by trying to keep the buses on the left side of the road.

The last few days I have driven through the Dusit area and daily I see buses driving on the wrong side of the road forcing on-coming cars to stop and move over.

The Bangkok Mass Transit Authority's (BMTA) new regulation calling for all buses to keep to the left lane and for them to stop at all bus stops . . .

I understand that as meaning the left lane of the two lanes on the left hand side of the road.

I am talking about when the two lanes on the left hand side of the road are jammed the buses drive on the right hand side of the road.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[VocalNeal]

This is not about the buses driving in the centre or outside lane , they can drive where they want to keep to the schedule. It is about buses pulling into the left lane when they stop and not having passengers get off and have to cross the inside lane of motorbikes. Also educating drivers to give way to buses pulling out would help.

I have great deal of respect for Bangkok bus drivers. Everyday they have to take to roads frequented by idiots, while still trying to maintain a semblance of a timetable.

Repainting the red lines on the kerbs at all bus tops and not penalizing bus drivers for scratching vehicles parked at bus tops would soon solve the problem.

In the west there are no more small shops along roadsides, everyone has to drive to the mall to go shopping So the roadside parking problem has been resolved but the quality of life may not have been.

[bigbamboo]

I suppose the police could try stopping the buses and giving the driver a ticket but where's the profit for the policeman in that?

[Hobiecat]

It's to bad the BMTA wouldn't be so kind enough to publish the new rules so it would make it possible to report some of these clowns. I don't know how many times I've been cut off by a bus sweeping across three lanes to squeeze the bus into a slot between cars big enough for a Toyota Yaris.

[toonsai]

The land of jokes. Failed State + laws never enforced + corrupted police = chaos = anarchy = TIT = It will never change.

And that's the way we like it.

Somehow yes. I know that we also like the "Thai" mess but that's also why it is so cheap. But the laxity and anarchy reach such high level that it becomes dangerous. An example: Thailand is the 2nd country in the World for number of deaths on the roads. Don't you think that little bit too much? Do you still like when you know that your life is at high risk? Do you like it when you know that there is no construction standard (but you still pay high price for your condo), when you know that what you eat every single day is full of forbidden/dangerous chemicals and pesticides. Do you still like it when you will be in trouble and you will be wrong even though you are right?

Do you still like it or are you unconscious? Think twice before you like it and believe me, you will understand the reality of LOS aka TIT.

[ezzra]

And this is another reason why toughening the driving licenses regulations will not work,

the drivers education is way past that, it's already beyond redemptions...

[fullcave]

Nobody’s forcing you to stay...

[anon467367354]

so if bus drivers endanger lives, they could be fined. I didn't see any

mention of getting fired. Wouldn't that be the safest thing to do?

[Bpuumike]

its all down to lazy people not enforcing the rules

The Police aren't lazy, they just have other business to take care of.

[sonar6ca]

The land of jokes. Failed State + laws never enforced + corrupted police = chaos = anarchy = TIT = It will never change.

So why don't you leave??????????????????????????

[northernjohn]

The land of jokes. Failed State + laws never enforced + corrupted police = chaos = anarchy = TIT = It will never change.

But you love it corrupted police let you get away with a lot.

Just like the Thai Visa posters who are against reform corruption allows them to make a bundle of money.

I believe the law is going to take a while to sink in to the drivers. That is why they figure it will take five months just to cut the accidents in half. Always trust the Thai Visa poster to wonder why it wasn't happening yesterday. I will admit that if in five months they have cut them in half I will be surprised but I will also bet their will be a significant decrease in them. If they continue to enforce them things will drastically change.

The operative word is IF.

[arisaje]

Nobody’s forcing you to stay...

Nobody is forcing 'who' to stay??

Isn't this topic about bus drivers breaking new safety rules? This might effect all people here directly or indirectly, whether they like it in Thailand, or they don't.

Maybe you like to live in a lawless country with utter chaos that appears to get worse month on month…..but it is getting very similar to Somalia…Nigeria…Ivory Coast and i bet you wouldn't go to live there

[toonsai]

The land of jokes. Failed State + laws never enforced + corrupted police = chaos = anarchy = TIT = It will never change.

So why don't you leave??????????????????????????

Exactly! And you know what? After 10 years in Thailand, I am about to leave. Because what I see here is effectively dangerous.

Continue to live the dream... and get smoked.