A baht
bus picks up passengers from a designated bus stop on Central Road.
Pratchaya Kerdthong
Police say a pilot project to require baht bus drivers to
stop only at designated passenger stops has been a success and hope to
improve the driving of taxi drivers city-wide.
Underway along Central Road since early January, the
project set up 12 designated bus stops in an effort to relieve traffic
congestion and improve safety for passengers. Traffic police Lt. Theparat
Sukrakan said in the month since the program began, no baht bus-related
accidents have been reported in the area.
“The main purpose of the project was to emphasize that
residents and tourists are safe,” Theparat said. He said taxi owners and
drivers were educated to stop only at designated points and not in traffic
lanes, which snarls traffic and creates hazards for those embarking and
disembarking from the trucks.
Theparat did not say how long the pilot program would
last nor whether police plan to expand it across the city. But he did say he
hopes the low accident rates inspires baht bus drivers to be safer and
better adhere to traffic regulations.
