Let’s see bosses in court
The next-of-kin of the van-pickup crash should take the Land Transport Department director-general and Transport Co president to Administrative Court on a charge of negligence of duty.
Year after year we “earn” our standing as having the second-deadliest roads in the world, and always the causes and types of vehicles involved are the same.
In this week’s horror, the 64-year-old Transport Co van driver made five round trips in 31 hours. Chanthaburi Land Transport Office chief Ponsak Thaijeam-aree said the driver’s lack of rest “was likely to be the cause of the crash”. Also, since a one-way trip from Bangkok to Chanthaburi takes about five hours, the driver virtually flew to do 50 hours worth of driving in 31. To me, the LTD and transport firm did not adequately formulate or implement regulations, such as ensuring that drivers get adequate rest.
Chon Buri Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Provincial Office chief Siwakon Buapong noted that the van needed more safety equipment: how about requiring emergency exits, fire extinguishers, seatbelts and a device to prevent speeding? Also, at age 64, was the van driver medically capable of such arduous driving? All these concerns should have long ago been addressed by the LTD and implemented by the firm.
We all must be accountable for our actions. Give the two executives their day in court quickly so that innocent travellers may live.
Burin Kantabutra
