The Prachuap Khiri Khan Provincial Transport Department has called for urgent inspections of public transport vehicles using natural gas for vehicles (NGV), following a tragic bus fire in Bangkok that claimed 23 lives, including many students.
Ms. Taweeporn Permtawee, Director of the Prachuap Khiri Khan Provincial Transport Department, said on Thursday that the department had received instructions from the Ministry of Transport to ensure all provincial transport offices carry out thorough inspections of both regular and chartered public transport vehicles using NGV within the next 60 days. The initiative aims to prevent similar incidents and ensure the safety of passengers.
According to data from the provincial transport office, Prachuap Khiri Khan has a total of 123 chartered buses, including one non-air-conditioned bus and 122 minivans and two-row pickup trucks, known locally as “songthaews.” Additionally, 27 regular public transport vehicles operate in the province, consisting of four air-conditioned buses and 23 minivans and songthaews.
The inspections will focus on checking the safety standards of vehicle equipment, gas systems, and essential safety devices, such as window-breaking hammers, fire extinguishers, and emergency exits. The department will also work closely with educational institutions planning to hire chartered buses or public transport vehicles for school trips. Schools will be instructed to contact the transport office for pre-trip safety checks.
In addition to vehicle inspections, the Department of Land Transport will provide training to drivers and bus attendants to improve their emergency response skills.
The move follows Tuesday’s bus fire in suburban Bangkok, which resulted in the deaths of 23 people, including six teachers and 17 students. The bus was travelling from Uthai Thani province to the Ayutthaya and Nonthaburi areas for a school trip when the fire broke out on a highway north of Bangkok.
Trairong Phiwpan, head of the police forensic department, said recovery efforts had been delayed as the bus, fuelled by natural gas, remained too hot to enter for several hours.
The tragic incident has prompted renewed focus on the safety of public transport vehicles across the country, with the Prachuap Khiri Khan Provincial Transport Department now taking swift action to prevent any similar tragedies.