BANGKOK, 7 May 2014 – The Department of Land Transport is reminding tour bus passengers to fasten their seat belts when seated, with the enforcement date of a penalty looming near.
Department director-general Atsa Thairattanadilok Na Phuket visited Mochit bus terminal in Bangkok on Tuesday to make sure stickers publicizing the new regulation were being pasted up at the bus terminal. According to Mr. Atsa, the department has required, since April 1, that seat belts be available for every seat of every tour bus. The department has asked the Transport Ministry to issue a ministerial regulation requiring that passengers must fasten their seat belts at all times while seated. The regulation will take effect on May 11, and violators are subject to fines of no more than 5,000 baht.
According to Mr. Atsa, some passengers refuse to wear their seat belts despite continued promotion of the benefits of the device. Based on research conducted in Thailand, passengers who did not wear seat belts were 1.52 times more likely to die from road accidents than those who wore their seat belts. Seat belts have also been found to reduce the rate of fatalities in road accidents by 34%.
Passengers may report any lack of seat belts on coaches at the 24-hour hotline 1584.
