New passenger van regulations are well-received by majority of Thai operators

[webfact]

New van service regulations are well-received by majority of operators

ANG THONG, 23 July 2014 (NNT) - Most of the van service providers in the provinces have expressed their agreement with the new regulations, while a number of operators request an extension of the registration period.

According to authorities in Ang Thong Province, many passenger vans are operating without appropriate license plates provided by the Department of Land Transport, adding that some of them have not yet had their vehicles checked.

Several van operators implored the authorities to extend the registration period, claiming that some of them have been hired to other provinces while some have to purchase new vehicles to replace the ones aged more than 10 years.

Van service providers operating on the Bangkok - Tak route are also asking for a small window of grace period, allowing them more time to obtain the required yellow license plates.

Meanwhile, in Udon Thani Province, officials have organized a meeting with the van service operators on the new regulations. The vans operating in the province are running under different service contracts, the officials said, adding that a majority of them agree with the new regulations which aim to eliminate extortion by local influential figures in the long term.


-- NNT 2014-07-23

[ChrisY1]

Good news.....so they'll now be licenced and hopefully in good mechanical condition......all they have to do now is get the drivers to keep to the road rules...especially speeding and undertaking...it all sounds so simple...if you say it fast!

[NongKhaiKid]

Are the operators really happy or is this just ' happiness ' propaganda ?

No industry welcomes new rules and regs that make it more difficult for them to operate and costs money.

[Mango Bob]

They want an extension because their vans do not meet the safety requirements among others reasons the van may not be legal. No extension they had enough time to get ready.

[LuckyLew]

Tell that to the parents of the little student who died after the driver walked away and left the little one asleep for hours in a hot van to die

I bet the are not too happy ... still same same ...

[UbonRatch]

"Meanwhile, in Udon Thani Province, officials have organized a meeting with the van service operators on the new regulations. The vans operating in the province are running under different service contracts, the officials said, adding that a majority of them agree with the new regulations which aim to eliminate extortion by local influential figures in the long term."

Well that one can be worked out within itself, and within a nutshell ! 'Local officials' and 'extortion' being the keywords.

[Pib]

This is scary...what if the majority of van operators indeed start complying with laws and regulations...and even more scary, what if the police start enforcing the laws and regulations...yes, scary.

[ramrod711]

The first thing required is a tether for the driver so he can't run away after accidents. I posted on a similar topic a while ago, simple solutions for keeping van speeds down, one direct reply I got was that this is not the west and we don't need all those rules here. Dear sir, very sorry if the governments efforts to save lives and provide safer transportation are infringing on your personal freedoms....Not!

[angsta]

They make it sound as if they have a choice?

[BudRight]

Glad the operat ors are taking it so well.

[upena]

More cosmetics - things will be back to the normal lunacy shortly

[Rykbanlor]

Implementing is one thing, enforcing another. Given that most of the operators probably have police contacts they probably view it as a temporary inconvenience that will most likely be gotten around before too long

[jacko45k]

Good news.....so they'll now be licenced and hopefully in good mechanical condition......all they have to do now is get the drivers to keep to the road rules...especially speeding and undertaking...it all sounds so simple...if you say it fast!

It seems they want permission to keep running them in bad mechanical condition for a while yet.

What is a few more fatal accidents compared to a little profit!

[leggo]

Yesterday I took a van from Rayong to Pattaya - at one stage there were 26 people on board (seating for 14) ( move along please , no standing room inside -you won't understand this unless you're a Londoner!!!)- I just cringed with fear at the idea of a crash 'cos no one would have ever had a chance.And i was the only one wearing a seat belt. The driver was doing 120 most of the time weaving in and out of traffic. Why for God's sake do the police not do anything- we passed plenty and at traffic junctions they were only a few feet away. All this propoganda about new van regulations is just plain old B/S!

[cracker1]

Anyone know if there is a "Label" placed on these vans that will tell me if i they have been recently certified ?

[NoshowJones]

Good news.....so they'll now be licenced and hopefully in good mechanical condition......all they have to do now is get the drivers to keep to the road rules...especially speeding and undertaking...it all sounds so simple...if you say it fast!

The biggest problem for the minivan drivers are the <deleted>, driving well below the speed limit hogging the centre and outside lanes forcing the minivan drivers to keep changing lanes to get past them, even when they are not speeding.

I use the mini buses when I go to Bangkok and mostly sitting beside the drivers, I see it all the time.

[WhamBam]

Dash cams should be part of the registration too.

I am sure the companies could make a lot of money from television showing the terrifying trips many of the passengers are forced to make.

[glasswort]

If the operators are so quick to recognize that the new regulations are a good thing why did they not comply with the rules already in place? There is something not quite right here. Complying with regulations costs money and no doubt this compliance will lead to an increase in fares. Personally I do not care because, apart from the BTS and MRT in Bangkok, I have never set foot in any form of public transport in Thailand and this will continue.

[LuckyLew]

Yesterday I took a van from Rayong to Pattaya - at one stage there were 26 people on board (seating for 14) ( move along please , no standing room inside -you won't understand this unless you're a Londoner!!!)- I just cringed with fear at the idea of a crash 'cos no one would have ever had a chance.And i was the only one wearing a seat belt. The driver was doing 120 most of the time weaving in and out of traffic. Why for God's sake do the police not do anything- we passed plenty and at traffic junctions they were only a few feet away. All this propoganda about new van regulations is just plain old B/S!

I guess max. passengers numbers and drivers with training and brains was not part of the new regularions

Sent from my GT-N5100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[SOTIRIOS]

....no more delays, please.....enough innocent people have died ....

.....and mandatory random drug and alcohol screening.....

....and limit to time behind the wheel in 24 hours.........

[jlwilliamsjr18]

It seems safely is at the heart of this issue. I fully agree, there has to be enforcement of laws for these drivers. Yes, hiting speeds of 120-130 and driving like a they could care less. One of my recent drivers, BKK to Hua Hin, talked and chatted on his phone, while hitting 130 through towns, passing police, who did nothing. How many will die, and who really cares, but we're happy, right?

[mok199]

..............now if the drivers can just ''STAY AWAKE''!!!!!

[surangw]

nodding their heads in agreement, or nodding off during the meeting ?

[PETERTHEEATER]

................while some have to purchase new vehicles to replace the ones aged more than 10 years.

Clearly these are short distance Minibuses. The inter provincial minibuses put on phenomenal mileage in just a few months and smart operators replace them with new vehicles and sell them on before they become a maintenance liability.

[Emster23]

Those plates are gonna solve all the problems? Right. How about a hot line to police that gets immediate action, with the number posted and types of violations to call in about: speeding, talking on phone, overcrowding, possible drug use etc? In Thai and English, and unique number for each van posted in passenger compartment.

[Bigfarang1948]

I use the vans from Udon to Ban Phue regularly; price is not a problem but having a seat to myself is unheard of. It is impossible to use a seat belt when 20 people are packed like sardines in a 14 passenger van; most uncomfortable and dangerous too

Who will ever regulate that problem? Answering my own question, probably nobody

Good news.....so they'll now be licenced and hopefully in good mechanical condition......all they have to do now is get the drivers to keep to the road rules...especially speeding and undertaking...it all sounds so simple...if you say it fast!

[Halion]

As it would be unwise to express any opinion contra to the new regulations the people have little choice but to don the party hat.

[Cake Monster]

What about a report hotline number on the rear of the bus in big bright letters the same as in the UK ?

" Hows my driving " 0800 XXXXXXXXX ( Free Phone )

+ Tachograph meters and engine /speed restrictors.

Random stop and checks will certainly soon pull this sector into line, especially if vehicle confiscations are applied, along with huge fines for " tampering " with the engine restrictor or Tacho.

The Thais seem to think they are driving a 4 wheel exocet missile, and have little or no regard for the responsibility that is required of them to ensure passenger safety.

Having these lunatics removed from the roads will save many, many lives every year.

[lostmebike]

Yet no mention of their behaviour behind the wheel.

No mention to stop tailgating.

No mention to stop undertaking.

No mention to stop hogging the outside lane.

No mention to slow the <deleted> down!

Even with the 'cleansing' that is happening, still get the feeling of 'same ol' sh*t, different day'