Tour bus driver fed up with being overworked dumps passengers by the road

[naboo]

A truck driver I met in Rayong told me the foreign owners follow the law and limit the hours of driving. He said in order to do overtime, he had to meet his mate who worked for another company at the end of their shifts and swap trucks.

 

[ezrider62]

7 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

 

Maybe he should have refused to take the bus from the depot in the first place ?

 

Probably would have been the best choice. Many workers in this country are worked to the bone, I have witnessed it first hand from a girlfriend, 7 days a week 12 hours and two days off a month. Not much fun!

[oldsailor35]

6 hours ago, smedly said:

This guy is a hero, he, in one single act of bravery has just highlighted "on no uncertain terms" one of the biggest problems with the transport/bus industry, drivers being pushed to the point they cannot function safely and end up going of a cliff ....literally

 

Over worked requiring energy drinks/drugs to keep going - unfortunately absolutely nothing will happen because every solution to every problem on Thailands roads requires investment and some sort of level of standards and enforcement, exactly why this country is still 3rd world even though it thinks it's the hub of SE Asia in everything.....it isn't

One long bus trip , Buriram to Pattaya , was enough for me. Never again will i ride on one of these long haul busses.

Edited December 30, 2016 by oldsailor35
missed one word !

[Rhys]

This one has common sense and yes a hero, worthy of the DA man....and to the ADM of his company....This is going to snow ball.. We are fed up and we are not going to take anymore...

 

A Hero....  F  yES..

[gchurch259]

In the USA Commercial/Interstate Drivers are required to keep a Logbook and have a limit for on duty and driving hours.  In Thailand that would be the same for travel between the Provinces/States.

 

Maybe would reduce the number of fatal accidents with these buses ! 

[harrry]

It is interesting that BorKorSau was started in the many years ago just to put these bandits out of business.  There was a big problem with deaths and dangerous unlicenceced one bus company air con tour busses poorly maintained and trying to do as many hours as possible.  The government imported top class Mercedes busses and for a few years ran a top class service running these shady companies out of business.  they then licenced the busses to other companies under strict conditions.  Sadly those conditions no longer seem to apply.

[Surasak]

6 hours ago, smedly said:

This guy is a hero, he, in one single act of bravery has just highlighted "on no uncertain terms" one of the biggest problems with the transport/bus industry, drivers being pushed to the point they cannot function safely and end up going of a cliff ....literally

 

Over worked requiring energy drinks/drugs to keep going - unfortunately absolutely nothing will happen because every solution to every problem on Thailands roads requires investment and some sort of level of standards and enforcement, exactly why this country is still 3rd world even though it thinks it's the hub of SE Asia in everything.....it isn't

It is the hub of everything, it called CHAOS!

[sweatalot]

Better the driver stopped the bus and left than killing his passengers.

[Thaiwrath]

The passengers on the bus are the responsibility of the driver.

To leave them on the side of the road is gross irresponsibility, and quite rightly, he was fined.

He should have refused to leave the depot, if he thought he could not take care of the passengers.

Had the passengers been mowed down by an erratic driver of another vehichle, while left stranded there, how many on here would still be calling him a hero ?

[Gandtee]

7 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

 

Maybe he should have refused to take the bus from the depot in the first place ?

And lose his job? This is why unions were formed in my country. The company should now be investigated to discover how many hours their drivers are allowed to drive without a break. If this driver had fallen asleep at the wheel the blame would have fallen on him. Well done driver for this show of rebellion against his bosses, who I doubt, ever use public transport. More of this should happen.

[Enoon]

2 hours ago, samsensam said:

working to rule, going on stike thai style; a bit chaotic and unclear. he should really talk to his boss and refuse to take the bus out of the depot.

 

He should talk to all the other drivers across the country and start a strike about working hours, driving training and vehicle maintenance.

[KKr]

Yesterday I was  (once again) about to be wedged between a bus on my left that could not make the right bend on the road properly and oncoming traffic. 

I'd say that a driver that is overworked, and instead of taking a pill takes a rest, is a responsible driver. 
Good that they exist!  

Have those recorders that evidence a driver's behaviour (speeding for example); time driving and more importantly resting times, gone out of Fashion ?

Edited December 30, 2016 by KKr

[geisha]

IMO he was right. He could have dropped them off at a nearby town though. 

[flyingdoc]

A very real and acute problem  which MUST be addressed, sooner rather than later !

[Retiredandhappyhere]

Whatever the exact circumstances, the driver was right NOT to risk the lives of his passengers. To debate whether or not he chose the precisely correct way in which to do this is academic.  At the end of the day, we should all be pleased that we were not reading about yet another fatal bus accident caused by a driver dozing at the wheel.  

[smedly]

1 hour ago, Thaiwrath said:

The passengers on the bus are the responsibility of the driver.

To leave them on the side of the road is gross irresponsibility, and quite rightly, he was fined.

He should have refused to leave the depot, if he thought he could not take care of the passengers.

Had the passengers been mowed down by an erratic driver of another vehichle, while left stranded there, how many on here would still be calling him a hero ?

not going to disagree with what you said as normally it would be reasonable and quite correct.............. but

 

perhaps you would like to list the correct path or options "in your opinion" this driver should have taken if we assume for a moment he did not feel that he could drive safely, you do also realise the distance involved and other circumstances that we are not being told in the news story - like how long it had been since he completed driving the same route in the opposite direction or the omitted details of why he felt compelled to take this course of action or why he was the only driver on the bus  - either way he felt he was in no fit state to complete the journey and in my opinion did the right thing...................maybe he should have stayed with the bus and let the passengers know why he had stopped (maybe he did) - mute point.   It also seems he stopped at a refreshment area as can be seen in the background of the photo.  

 

My only criticism is that (after perhaps having a rest) he continued to drive the bus - maybe the police put pressure on him to drive - why he decided to return to Bangkok is an interesting one.  

[smedly]

2 hours ago, Asiantravel said:

Don't i miss something here,A SECOND driver..Shouldn't it be 2 driver on a long route like this?

 

2 hours ago, Asiantravel said:

 

 

there only seems to be one company in Thailand (Nakhonchai Air bus company) that complies with the rule of having 2 bus drivers on long routes

 

http://www.nca.co.th/main_en.html

might be of interest to compare the safety records for all the companies

[spiritrace]

That happened to me in China. Driver dumped 40 of us miles from anywhere then went home. I guess it's an Asia thing.

[Rhys]

Once had one of the min-van pull this on me... van is packed but he still picked up a passenger, looked in the back ask me to leave... so the new passenger could take my seat.  SAID <deleted>  NO...

[Redline]

5 hours ago, canuckamuck said:

If he would have continued on and crashed from sleep deprivation he wouldn't have lost his license. But having the sense to refuse he now has to pay a fine and find a new job.

And, he would have got some exercise sprinting from the scene of the accident

[speckio]

6 hours ago, jamhar said:

I'd be interested to know if the passengers on the bus considers the driver a hero.

 

Agree on relief drivers leeneeds. At least on the VIP buses.  I'd pay that, and would consider using buses again.

 

Happy Holidays everyone! :)

3

 

If i were on the bus i would lay the blame squarely on the company for what transpired! and hold the driver to zero accountability!

 

the idea of companies taking advantage of and overworking employees pisses me off to no end. 

[elgordo38]

5 hours ago, hawker9000 said:

He left stranded passengers on the side of the road, genius.

 

The key word being tourists

[Basil B]

Do they have tachographs in Thailand???

 

Certainly need them along with working brakes on large vehicles...

[dick dasterdly]

1 hour ago, smedly said:

not going to disagree with what you said as normally it would be reasonable and quite correct.............. but

 

perhaps you would like to list the correct path or options "in your opinion" this driver should have taken if we assume for a moment he did not feel that he could drive safely, you do also realise the distance involved and other circumstances that we are not being told in the news story - like how long it had been since he completed driving the same route in the opposite direction or the omitted details of why he felt compelled to take this course of action or why he was the only driver on the bus  - either way he felt he was in no fit state to complete the journey and in my opinion did the right thing...................maybe he should have stayed with the bus and let the passengers know why he had stopped (maybe he did) - mute point.   It also seems he stopped at a refreshment area as can be seen in the background of the photo.  

 

My only criticism is that (after perhaps having a rest) he continued to drive the bus - maybe the police put pressure on him to drive - why he decided to return to Bangkok is an interesting one.  

Or perhaps that he was just pissed off with the company for some reason and decided to play 'silly buggers'?

 

None of us know and are all jumping to conclusions.

[chrisinth]

3 hours ago, harrry said:

It is interesting that BorKorSau was started in the many years ago just to put these bandits out of business.  There was a big problem with deaths and dangerous unlicenceced one bus company air con tour busses poorly maintained and trying to do as many hours as possible.  The government imported top class Mercedes busses and for a few years ran a top class service running these shady companies out of business.  they then licenced the busses to other companies under strict conditions.  Sadly those conditions no longer seem to apply.

 

It is one of the reasons that Phitsanulok has so many hotels. Phits was designated as the 'half-way-house' for tour buses doing the Bangkok - Chiang Mai trip many years ago due to the amount of accidents caused by drivers falling asleep or, perhaps worse, serious abuse of whatever stimulants they were taking in order to stay awake.

 

Don't really know what happened to that logical solution. Still, and this is not just Thailand related, the only thing we seem to learn from history is that we learn nothing from history! 

[dick dasterdly]

This line in the original article did make me smile - " He left the wheel, crossed the road and disappeared while grumbling that he was overworked. ". 

 

The 'picture' of him walking away, grumbling to himself appeals to my sense of humour.

 

Edit - Admittedly, it wouldn't if I was one of the passengers on the bus.

Edited December 30, 2016 by dick dasterdly

[akirasan]

Can't get taxi back to the depot in time

Can't get bus back to the depot in time

same same 

[gdgbb]

6 hours ago, hawker9000 said:

Protect and SERVE...  completely lost on the BIB.   Somebody really ought to explain it to them.   Bus passengers stranded on the road - not their BUSINESS??!!   Oh, this'll look sweet on social media, and should do absolute wonders for the tourist trade..

 

The police attended and sorted out what they could.  They didn't claim the incident was not their business, they said that they couldn't take any legal action because what had happened was the business of the company, nothing illegal had happened.

[BlindMagician]

Typical poor reporting. No pertinent facts to back up anything, such as stats on the driver's hours, interviews with the tourists, quotes, etc.

Nothing more than an extended headline.

[NCC1701A]

Headline tomorrow:

 

"Overworked bus driver commits suicide while scuba diving. Ties his body to a pier."