A route 8 bus driver was fined 5,000 baht and his licence suspended after driving through a red light, causing a crash and injuring 14 people in Bangkok on Monday morning.
The Land Transport Department said that bus driver Samran Khamma was hit with the maximum fine for reckless driving and his driving licence was suspended for 30 days.
He would also have to undertake a three-hour training session on good driving, and his employer must train his 23 colleagues to be good drivers, the department said.
About 5.30am on Monday Mr Samran was driving a No.8 bus from Bang Kapi. He failed to slow down and then drove through a red light at Ratchada-Lat Phrao intersection. The driver admitted he did not slow down as he approached the traffic lights.
His bus was hit by a pickup truck crossing the intersection. Four people travelling in the pickup were seriously injured. Rescuers had to use a hydraulic jack to tear open the vehicle and free them.
Ten people on the bus were injured – the driver and nine passengers.
The bus driver was expected to also face police charges.
Route 8 drivers are notorious for fast and accident-prone driving.
This has been attributed to their drivers having to compete to pick up passengers on their Happy Land-Memorial Bridge route, from the eastern outskirts of Bangkok to the inner city.
Buses on the route were ranked the lowest for service quality over several years.