National —
On October 18th, 2024, the Department of Land Transport (DLT) launched a nationwide vehicle safety inspection for all public buses, both scheduled and unscheduled, that use CNG fuel.
The inspections, aimed at enhancing safety and passenger confidence, must be completed by November 30th, 2024.
According to the DLT, from October 4th to 16th, 2024, 1,331 out of 13,426 CNG-powered buses across the country have undergone inspection. Of these, 68 vehicles failed due to issues such as expired gas tanks and damaged components. So far, 12 have been repaired and cleared for use, but 56 remain banned from operation.
This development follows the tragic bus fire involving students from Wat Khao Phraya school which occurred on Vibhavadi Road in front of the Monument of Honor, claiming the lives of several teachers and 20 young students.
The DLT emphasized that operators whose vehicles fail the inspection must repair and resubmit their buses for reinspection within 15 days, or face immediate deregistration. Exceptions may be granted in cases requiring longer repair times, provided that the DLT is notified.
Read our recent articles about bus accidents in Thailand:
A bus carrying Malaysian tourists collided with a truck in Songkhla, injuring several passengers.
A tour bus carrying over 50 Indonesian tourists caught fire in Nakhon Ratchasima.
Our editorial on bus safety in Thailand can be found here.
This article originally appeared on our sister website The Pattaya News.
