Bangkok's 'Fast and Furious 8'

[Thaivisa News]

Bangkok:- While the dare-devil speed has made Fast & Furious films so irresistible, Bangkok’s infamously fast-moving Bus No 8 fleet has scared passengers.

“Most drivers of Bus No 8 drive so fast and so frighteningly,” a vendor laments.

She is a regular passenger of Bus No 8 because it provides services along the route she needs to travel.

“But if I could choose, I would definitely avoid it,” she told Thairath.

Operated by four private firms under Bangkok Mass Transit Authority’s (BMTA) supervision, Bus No 8 has run along Bangkok’s Happyland and Memorial Bridge. In total, Bus No 8 fleet comprises more than 100 vehicles.

BMTA deputy director Wisit Wongsaroj said with such high number of vehicles in the fleet, many Bus No 8 drivers were clearly trying to drive faster so that they could get ahead of other buses and pick up all passengers at bus-stops.

“Drivers and fare collectors get commissions from the fares they collect,” Wisit reveals, “So they are racing to get passengers”.

According to BMTA, Bus No 8 has ended up attracting the highest number of complaints from passengers within the privately-operated bus route category.

Last year, the Land Transport Department received as many as 231 complaints about Bus No 8. Of these complaints, 137 were about reckless driving.

Between January 1 and April 1 this year, Bus No 8 has already drawn in 84 complaints.

Bus drivers who are criticized in the complaint face a fine of Bt500. The Land Transport Department adds that repeated offenders also risk losing their driving license.

[keith101]

remove the commissions problem solved

[SoilSpoil]

Really? This problems could be solved in 1 day, if the BMA really wanted to. Let buses return in the same sequence as they leave, how hard can it be? Share the commission between all drivers and collectors and fire those who get a lot of complaints. Easy as pie.

[kinmaew]

I remember getting those buses home late at night much quicker and of course cheaper than a taxi. I thought there were filming a new action movie coz the ticket conductor was slowly lowering himself to the road floor at high speed from the bus door - Death wish and very cheap entertainment like a lot of things in LOS

[elgordo38]

remove the commissions problem solved

This is what happens in a world where you contract services out. Its dog eat dog. Sometimes I wish you could contract out politics might work better than elections.

[Sviss Geez]

remove the commissions problem solved

The problem here is that commission is the only salary they get so it cannot be removed.

The bus company doesn't want to pay drivers. There are two levels in Thailand. The Chinese who own everything and the Thais who get screwed by the Chinese.

You're forgetting the 3rd level, those who don't know what they're talking about but then write abut it.

[cookee68]

Obviously you are not sorting out the problem, or you would not have so many complaints, they drive like idiots for the money and don,t give a shit about safety, neither do the owners, but the powerful rule in a 3rd world country and always will, so Thailand get used to being labeled a 3rd world for time to come.

[xen]

I remember reading about Mumbai where all the buses are private contractors and the buses race each other to collect passengers standing at the bus stop and on a regular basis they run over the waiting passengers or injure /kill others. Sounds like a more extreme version there.