Red light-running Bangkok bus driver loses license for 30 days (video)

[Halion]

This has to be a joke. Running a red light at a busy intersection and all they give this chump is a 30 day suspension and 160$ fine.

That really sends a message and the message as usual is <deleted>

[little mary sunshine]

Reckless idiot. Should never be allowed to drive a bus again

[MESmith]

I'm surprised the bus driver isn't suing whoever uploaded the video for defamation of character. Crazy defamation laws over here!

[SABloke]

What happened to the other 2 cars and motorbike that also ran the light?

[daiwill60]

Persons driving vehicles of that size have an added responsibility to drive safely. A 30 day suspension is at the low end for the infraction. Having said that, if the police suspended everyone that runs red lights, the streets would be deserted.

Would that be such a bad thing? In my opinion it would be the best thing that could happen given the standard of driving.

[Jonmarleesco]

A criminal offence, addressed by his employer. Would Thailand's finest properly act, based on the video, I wonder? But then, with 90% of Thai drivers seemingly colour blind, it's hardly an isolated incident; just one that went live on FB.

[Jonmarleesco]

This has to be a joke. Running a red light at a busy intersection and all they give this chump is a 30 day suspension and 160$ fine.

That really sends a message and the message as usual is <deleted>

$160? A B1,000 is around $30.

[geriatrickid]

The critical comments on the penalty are unfair. The Thai penalty exceeds the penalty that would be imposed in most western countries.

To clarify:

Employer fined employee 1000 baht and suspended driver 3 days.

People complained.

Transportation department investigated: 30 day fine, 5,000 baht fine to driver. (That's about 2 weeks pay for the typical bus driver in Bangkok.)

Employer Kittisunthorn Co. fined 2,000 baht because the bus did not have safety manual. (No mention if bus had maintenance etc.)

In the west, running a red light fine is typically 1-2 days wages and if by a regulated camera, no demerit points. There is no suspension of license unless the driver is caught in the act and has exceeded the demerit point limit in those countries which use a demerit point system.

Unless an approved camera, the recording would not be allowed as reliable evidence in the adjudication of a traffic offense.

[Basil B]

I would have thought the bus company would have fired him for that...

30 days licence suspended... what's the betting he working for another bus company out of town for the next 4 weeks?

[Basil B]

The critical comments on the penalty are unfair. The Thai penalty exceeds the penalty that would be imposed in most western countries.

To clarify:

Employer fined employee 1000 baht and suspended driver 3 days.

People complained.

Transportation department investigated: 30 day fine, 5,000 baht fine to driver. (That's about 2 weeks pay for the typical bus driver in Bangkok.)

Employer Kittisunthorn Co. fined 2,000 baht because the bus did not have safety manual. (No mention if bus had maintenance etc.)

In the west, running a red light fine is typically 1-2 days wages and if by a regulated camera, no demerit points. There is no suspension of license unless the driver is caught in the act and has exceeded the demerit point limit in those countries which use a demerit point system.

Unless an approved camera, the recording would not be allowed as reliable evidence in the adjudication of a traffic offense.

Please watch the video...

This was rather more than running the lights, 3 bike had already across the path of the bus, the 4th bike thank god was able to stop or this would have been a different story.

Not sure if there is any "dead time" delay before going green, but clearly Thai drivers are red light chancers, but the traffic did wait for for the traffic to clear the junction before moving off and the bus came tearing through without due care and attention, some 6-8 seconds after the lights changed, he must have seen the bikes crossing in front of him yet he did not even attempt to slow down.

Yes, I have seen cars, lorries, vans, buses driven like that in the UK, but that was on TV, "Traffic Cops" and filmed from the police helicopter, and yes, many of the drivers did go to prison.

Edited June 24, 2015 by Basil B

[geriatrickid]

The critical comments on the penalty are unfair. The Thai penalty exceeds the penalty that would be imposed in most western countries.

To clarify:

Employer fined employee 1000 baht and suspended driver 3 days.

People complained.

Transportation department investigated: 30 day fine, 5,000 baht fine to driver. (That's about 2 weeks pay for the typical bus driver in Bangkok.)

Employer Kittisunthorn Co. fined 2,000 baht because the bus did not have safety manual. (No mention if bus had maintenance etc.)

In the west, running a red light fine is typically 1-2 days wages and if by a regulated camera, no demerit points. There is no suspension of license unless the driver is caught in the act and has exceeded the demerit point limit in those countries which use a demerit point system.

Unless an approved camera, the recording would not be allowed as reliable evidence in the adjudication of a traffic offense.

Please watch the video...

This was rather more than running the lights, 3 bike had already across the path of the bus, the 4th bike thank god was able to stop or this would have been a different story.

Not sure if there is any "dead time" delay before going green, but clearly Thai drivers are red light chancers, but the traffic did wait for for the traffic to clear the junction before moving off and the bus came tearing through without due care and attention, some 6-8 seconds after the lights changed, he must have seen the bikes crossing in front of him yet he did not even attempt to slow down.

Yes, I have seen cars, lorries, vans, buses driven like that in the UK, but that was on TV, "Traffic Cops" and filmed from the police helicopter, and yes, many of the drivers did go to prison.

Basil, old bean, no argument from me the bus driver might be a dangerous turd. My point was that the driver was punished more severely than in the west. In the west, the 3rd party recording evidence would not have been accepted. Putting that aside, the recording does not show the light the bus driver had. It could have been yellow or still green. Unless a red light was established, one doesn't know if he ran the red light. I certainly am not arguing in favour of a red light runner. However, the reality is that the bus driver would be legally free and clean in the typical western jurisdiction. At worst, he might have been sanctioned by his/her western employer.

[Basil B]

3rd party evidence is accepted in the UK and the police on CPS advice have successfully prosecuted using evidence from dash cams and other video sources, especially when they went viral on youtube...

Thing is in the UK we expect higher standards from drivers of large vehicles and and public service vehicles, and a bus is both...

I suspect if it had been a car that stopped when they realised their error, probably the police would not follow it up or at worst the driver issued with a fixed penalty (3 points + fine) same as had a police officer witnessed the offence or he had been flashed by a red light camera.

But this was something more, even when he must have realised he was in the wrong he just continued "Pedal to the Metal", what I am thinking of was if this was one of those junctions where there are hundreds of bike reeving to go when the lights changed he could have taken a lot of bikes out and killed many of the riders.

What punishment do you think he should have if it had been a fatal accident???

Edited June 24, 2015 by Basil B

[Thongkorn]

probably to busy on his phone to notice any other road user, other people are a nuisance they get in the way,

[cookee68]

He will still be driving tomorrow, don't be fooled by the 30 days license lose, that will make no difference, The stupidity of these bus drivers is beyond

[Bangkok Barry]

Persons driving vehicles of that size have an added responsibility to drive safely. A 30 day suspension is at the low end for the infraction. Having said that, if the police suspended everyone that runs red lights, the streets would be deserted.

Ah, now wouldn't that be nice. A perfect way to solve Bangkok's traffic congestion.

[Fookhaht]

No one has addressed the mother/child who missed being hit.

Kudos to the alert mother for still checking the cross traffic despite a green light.

Shame on the mother for having no helmets for herself or her child. Another reason for why Thailand has the world's second worst traffic fatalities (behind Namibia), and 70% of those are motorcyclists.

[konying]

If transport ministry and police were to actually do their job, at least half of drivers should have their license revoked .

The sad part is even if that happened they would continue driving without one as fine is only 500 baht