Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra on Tuesday ordered operators of 13,426 gas-fuelled passenger buses to suspend services pending inspections in the aftermath of last week’s school bus fire tragedy.
The Department of Land Transport (DLT) said all buses running on either compressed natural gas (CNG) or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) must be inspected by department officials no later than Nov 30.
Ms Paetongtarn’s move followed revelations of safety violations by the operator of the bus used in a school field trip, after it was gutted by fire in Pathum Thani, costing the lives of 20 students and three teachers on Oct 1.
The DLT is also seeking cooperation from the Ministry of Education to urge schools to avoid using gas-fuelled vehicles to transport students and teachers until inspections are complete.
The Ministry of Transport has also ordered nationwide safety inspections of passenger boats, including 108 dining cruises, that are required to follow particular safety measures due to their use of cooking gas.
Deputy Transport Minister Manaporn Charoensri said she had instructed the Marine Department to carry out inspections on 15,685 passenger boats following a recent increase in accidents. She said many of these boats operate on the Chao Phraya River and along the coast between the mainland and various offshore islands.
Strict inspections are to be applied in each province, Ms Manaporn added.
The inspections include checking the stability of the ship’s structure, fuel pipeline system, electrical system, engine system, lifesaving equipment, ready-to-use firefighting equipment, boat licence and operators’ permits.
Boat operators are required to keep themselves updated on weather forecasts and strictly follow sailing regulations, including ensuring no items that pose safety risks are on board.
Ms Manaporn said 100 public transport boats in Bangkok and its suburbs, including those traversing the Chao Phraya River and San Saeb Canal, run on diesel and biodiesel, with another 35 using electric power.
There are also 52 dining cruises on the Chao Phraya, for which she said extra safety requirements would be introduced.
Those include separating cooking zones from passenger zones, placing a sufficient number of fire extinguishers in cooking areas, and limiting the number of cooking gas cylinders on board.
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Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra speaks to reporters after the cabinet meeting on Tuesday. (Photo: Royal Thai Government)
