Land Transport Department to get tough with school buses

[snoop1130]

Land Transport Department to get tough with school buses

The Land Transport Department has meted out additional safety measures to be applied to school buses and vans after two school children accidentally fell from their school vans in Chiang Rai and Tak provinces within a week.

Luckily, the two victims were not seriously harmed but the incidents which went viral in the social media have generated a lot of comments and served a wake-up call for authorities concerned to take actions to prevent the incidents from recurring.

In Tak province where the second accident took place, the director of Tak primary education office, ordered all schools to check the conditions and safety standards of all school buses and vans.

Mr Apinob Bamrungkarn, the Tak land transport official, said that, from now on, all school buses and vans must be equipped with a fire extinguisher and an axe or a tool to be used to break the car’s windshield and other necessary safety equipments.

Also, he said that every vehicle must be registered with the school where students are picked up and there must be a supervisor for every vehicle.

The latest accident took place in Mae Sot district where a school girl, a Burmese migrant, was seen by a car’s camera falling onto the road from the rear of a van. The girl quickly stood up and gave chase to try to catch the car.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/content/165477

-- Thai PBS 2016-05-31

[thesetat2013]

Child safety needing a wakeup call.. what a joke. .

[jaltsc]

"The Land Transport Department has meted out additional safety measures to be applied to school buses and vans..."

What a farce this is. Here are two officials, supposedly safety inspectors, looking at two students sitting in regular chairs placed in a van.

How about something brilliant like, let's say, permanent seats anchored to the floor of the van with seat belts not only present, but the van cannot be started until every passenger is secured with the safety belt?

Those children did not "accidentally" fall. They were not secured by a seat belt, and possibly sitting on a chair not anchored to the van floor. They fell due to the irresponsibility of the school administrator and the van driver.

And, if they were sitting on regular chairs, then there is no way seat belts could have helped.

What's the fire extinguisher for? In case some of the students are smoking on the van and start a fire? If it wasn't for the fact that children's lives are at stake here, this would be one hell of a joke.

[clockman]

Only because of social media. And exposure to the world.

[trainman34014]

Nothing will change and all will be forgotten until the next kid falls out....and then it will be forgotten again. Rich peoples kids don't travel in these buses and the peasants are expendable !

[phoenixdoglover]

There is something missing in the problem solving process.

Events: children falling out of moving school vans

Problem: children unsecured, doors easily opened

Solution: axe and fire extinguisher to be provided

Reaction: double facepalm

[HappyinNE]

Not to worry! It will be fixed in whose lifetime?

[gwynt]

These are only the cases that were caught on camera what about the others that were/are not, by the law of averages there has to be some.

[DavidOxon]

how's a fire extinguisher going to help? What about seat belts?

[ratcatcher]

Child safety needing a wakeup call.. what a joke. .

Child safety needing a wake up call..

Wake up call? More like emergency shock treatment.

[JAG]

Well given that the |OP shows a school van being inspected by what appears to be a very senior officer, judging by the braid on his shoulderboards, (must be the leader) and another fellow in crisp combat fatigues (obviously the man of action judging by the size of his shoulder patches) the problem should be sorted in no time!

Why do the chaps who inspect school buses have to dress up as if they were about to go and do the Iranian Embassy?

[Sunderland]

Hub of broken promises and kids falling out of school vans. Rock on!

[Rayk]

How is equipping school buses with a fire extinguisher and an axe going to prevent school children from falling out of their bus?

The axe I can see useful to the driver when he needs it to confront someone but he will probably already have a gun hidden under his seat anyway.

[edwinchester]

Getting tough means vans having forward facing individual seats with safety belts, purposefully designed passenger vehicles with a designed safety cell, air bags, a driver training program with periodic monitoring etc etc, not a fire extinguisher and axe!

Bloody clueless.