Investment in road safety does not only save lives but also maintains potential human capital. As a result, it contributes to a nation's productivity and sustainable economic growth. It is as important as investment toward improvement of human resources skills or quality of education.
The need for safer roads is urgent for Thailand. According to the Public Health Ministry 44% of all deaths among children aged 5-14 years old in 2016 were caused by road crashes. Without the choice of quality transportation, those children had to commute to school using risky types of vehicles, particularly motorcycles. A 2014 study by the Thailand Development Research Institute found the loss of economic potential relevant to the fatalities of these children accounted for 0.13% of Thailand's GDP, the highest rate compared to other age groups.
Nichamon Thongphat is a researcher at the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI). Policy analyses from the TDRI appear in the Bangkok Post on alternate Wednesdays.
Student transport in Thailand has received less attention from governments and policymakers despite the fact that it is a contributor to educational opportunities. Many children have no alternative means of transport to go to school safely, particularly those who are from poor households in remote areas.
Children from rural areas usually have to take long trips from their homes to schools located in town. However, poor public bus service coverage in their localities has led to the demand for informal school buses.
These informal buses are not regulated by the Department of Land Transport (DLT) because they are not registered as public transport vehicles, hence, students become unwilling risk takers when it comes to commuting to school. Many have been killed on the roads or suffered injuries while service operators remain unaccountable.
Moreover, the DLT's regulations on school buses are also outdated. They set specifications for the vehicles which school bus operators have to invest more in. This is not practical for those providing informal bus services in rural areas. As a result, the regulations cannot bring about quality services as operators prefer to not register their vehicles as school buses. Meanwhile, general road safety standards have also not been properly enforced. As such, the operation of informal school buses has become a popular but dangerous choice for students.
A Road Safety Policy Foundation survey found that road accidents involving for-hire school buses increased by more than 70% last year compared to figures in 2015. The majority of accidents involved modified pickup trucks.
The survey findings also showed that the majority of accidents was caused by driving behaviour. Statistics also demonstrate that many of these informal school buses do not meet DLT vehicle safety standards. Meanwhile, drivers also do not posses a public vehicle driving licence.
To address this situation, traditional government intervention may not be the right solution. In the past, state agencies mainly proposed strong restrictions, placing higher compliance costs on school bus operators.
Alternatively, government agencies should focus more on enforcing practical safety standards, ensuring that operators follow them. That means regulations on specifications for school buses cannot be too rigid. It should allow some room for operators to adjust their vehicles in a most affordable way while they must still adhere to a certain level of safety standards. Additionally, there must be safety training provided to both operators and their drivers. These measures, however, still need public financing.
Funding student transport is adopted by many developed countries, such as the United States and the UK, allowing local authorities to provide transportation to students independently and obtain partial financing from central government. The eligibility for financing is defined by students' living distance from school, risk factors in their commute and other disability conditions. Theoretically, by adopting the decentralisation concept, resource allocation will be more effective which leads to better quality of public services.
Under the current regulations on budget allocation to local authorities for education purposes in Thailand, there is still a limitation on the scope of spending, hence impeding the goal to decentralise financing to local bodies.
However, local networking can also be part of the solution as a success story in Chanthaburi province demonstrates. Schools, parents, and relevant local authorities in the province have worked together to provide good transportation for students, ensuring that school buses meet proper safety standards, drivers are qualified and given guidance on taking care of students.
Providing safer school buses for students, especially those who are in rural areas, can be extremely challenging. It requires both financing and well-planned management. While safety is the ultimate goal, there should not be unnecessary regulatory burden imposed on operators.