A recent crash involving a double-decker bus in Nadi district of Prachin Buri that killed more than a dozen passengers is another attestation of loopholes in traffic law enforcement that make sections of roads in this country a death trap.
Much has been said about how this kind of vehicle, while acceptable for city use with strict speed limits, is unsafe, especially when cruising on inter-provincial roads. But words have never been translated into action.
The spot where the crash happened on Feb 26, km marker 210 on the downward side of Highway 304 from Nakhon Ratchasima, is a challenge for all drivers, particularly those unfamiliar with the route. It's reported that the driver of the doomed bus, while trying to shift to lower gear, lost control of the vehicle, hitting a road barrier. Just a day before the crash, a truck driver was killed when his vehicle overturned at that very spot.
Questions about the roadworthiness of such buses are not new. Every time a mishap happens, there are calls for a ban on double-decker buses on high-risk routes -- including the section in Nadi district known as the Kabin and Prachin Buri route. Needless to say, all the campaigns return to square one when public and media attention move elsewhere.
Back in 2016, it was the Transport Ministry that mulled the idea about designated zones that should be off-limits to double-decker buses. The proposal followed a double-decker bus tragedy in Songkhla that resulted in heavy casualties.
In fact, then-junta leader Prayut Chan-o-cha, appalled by the high number of bus mishaps that year, once ordered all double-decker buses off the roads.
Yet, there was no effect. Greedy bus operators, who argued that such tall buses were still in high demand, ignored the strongman's order. A weak state mechanism gives operators the chance to continue doing business as usual, despite the warning that double-decker vehicles, when negotiating steep inclines, are seven times more likely to be involved in accidents than regular ones.
It's unfortunate that the Transport Ministry has not pushed for a ban.
Lack of awareness on the part of local authorities only prolongs the problem. In an interview with Thai PBS last week, the deputy governor of Prachin Buri, Chanatip Kokmanee, was totally unaware that double-decker buses are a no-no for this dangerous route. Such cluelessness could be the same for local authorities elsewhere.
But height is just one problem with this vehicle type. The use of sub-standard materials makes the matter worse. Just look at the doomed bus after the Feb 26 crash. It seems the vehicle just fell apart after the crash. This problem needs to be addressed, too.
While the Land Transport Department has suspended licence renewal since 2017, it will take a few more years before the licences expire. As of January this year, more than 6,000 double-decker buses were in service.
Indeed, a proactive approach is needed to deal with the problem. Not doing anything is a costly and unjustifiable compromise of passenger safety.