Nationwide inspections following a tragic school tour bus fire have revealed that only 10% of the country’s buses have been evaluated thus far.
The Department of Land Transport announced that out of 1,331 CNG-fueled buses inspected this month, 68 were found to be below standard and have been temporarily banned from operation. These inspections began on October 4 as a direct response to the devastating bus fire on October 1 that resulted in the loss of 20 students and three teachers in Pathum Thani. The bus involved was 54 years old and its conversion to compressed natural gas did not meet safety regulations.
According to the department, the defective buses represent 5% of those examined so far. Common issues identified included expired gas cylinders and malfunctioning equipment. Notably, 12 of the removed buses have since been permitted to return to service after the necessary repairs were made by their operators.
Operators have been given a 15-day period to rectify the issues and undergo re-inspection. Thailand currently has approximately 13,400 CNG-powered buses on the roads, with ongoing inspections mandated by the Ministry of Transport. However, only a limited portion of buses has been checked to date.
In the aftermath of the tragic fire, three students remain hospitalized due to burn injuries sustained during the incident, which occurred while transporting students and teachers from Wat Phao Praya Sangkharam School in Uthai Thani. Investigations revealed that Chinnaboot Tour, the bus company operating the vehicle, attempted to disguise non-compliant CNG alterations on additional buses in its fleet. Legal actions have been initiated against the driver, the bus owner, and the company owner.
