BANGKOK – The Department of Land Transport has reminded vans to strictly comply with traffic laws for the safety of their passengers.
Director-General of the Department of Land Transport Sanit Promwong revealed that his department has hired the Institute of Transportation of Chulalongkorn University to conduct safety studies on vans used as buses, taking into consideration factors such as the structural integrity of the vehicles, readiness of safety equipment, fuel installation systems and the nature of services. The study is expected to be completed by September this year.
Vans currently are allowed an operational lifespan of 10 years with checkups due every 2 years during that duration. In addition, a new policy by the National Council for Peace and Order and the Department of Land Transport to allow for private vans to be registered as transportation vehicles has added 2,149 passenger vans.
All passenger vans are urged to strictly follow regulations such as adhering to the route, charging fares appropriately and adhering to the maximum capacity of passengers per vehicle. By the end of 2016, all vans will have a GPS navigation system installed to track the safety adherence of vans.
