The story of the bus driver who left his bus by the roadside, claiming he was tired and overworked, prompted the following interesting response by a reader in the Bangkok Post.
Re: “Passengers stranded as ‘overworked’ driver abandons bus”, (BP, Dec 30). A tour bus driver abandoned his passengers after being overworked for several days. The Land Transport Department found the bus in question had not had its required annual vehicle examination, nor did it have the required GPS tracking device.
Also, Nopparat Karunyawanich, Transport Co’s deputy president, explained the driver was tired from working several days without a break. Yes, the driver shouldn’t have left his passengers by the side of the road. But the far greater culprit was the Land Transport Department and its director-general for letting the situation deteriorate to this point.
The LTD should be given, say, 60 days to ensure all vehicles under its care have been properly examined — including passing California-level emissions tests and equipment requirements — and that an industry-wide plan has been rigorously implemented to ensure all drivers are getting adequate rest. Drivers who watch videos, drink, or engage in other distracting behaviour while driving should be dismissed immediately.
After the 60 days is up, an independent agency should evaluate the LTD’s performance, using clear, transparent and measurable key performance indicators related to safety, speed and convenience enjoyed by road users, with top LTD executives being rewarded or punished accordingly.
We should be tired of having the world’s second deadliest roads, and not doing anything effective about it.
Burin Kantabutra
(Source: Bangkok Post)