PUBLISHED : 1 Mar 2025 at 09:10
A Senate subcommittee on infrastructure and vehicles is calling for measures to prevent road accidents caused by double-decker buses.
Surachai Liangboonlertchai, the subcommittee chairman, said on Friday that related sectors were invited to discuss the results from a preliminary investigation on the double-decker bus accident that killed 19 people and injured 30 others in Prachin Buri on Wednesday.
He said the double-decker bus design was the leading cause of the accident, according to the investigation.
Mr Surachai said experts agreed that such buses are unsuitable for interprovincial travel, especially on steep roads.
Their height exceeds the four-metre safety standard, risking an unbalanced centre of gravity. As such, the Department of Land Transport stopped issuing new registrations for double-decker buses in 2016.
However, at least 7,000 double-decker buses registered before 2016 are still allowed on the road today, he said, noting that these buses have caused several tragic accidents, including the bus fire during a school trip on Oct 1 last year that killed 20 students and three teachers.
Mr Surachai demanded that the state improve its road safety measures regarding vehicle control and road conditions.
“At least 10,000 people die in road accidents a year despite a decade-long policy of road safety. More discussion on the matter and national measures are important to encourage the joint initiative,” Mr Surachai said.
Natakorn Phuksuksakul, a lecturer in Thammasat University’s Faculty of Engineering, said a double-decker bus is more suitable for city tours at a low speed of 30-50 kilometres per hour rather than for long trips.
Double-decker buses are seven times more likely to be involved in accidents than regular buses and have a tenfold higher risk of fatality for passengers.
Mr Natakorn said having passengers on the top deck affects a bus’s balance and increases the risk of accidents.
However, Mr Natakorn said immediately cancelling double-decker bus services would be challenging.
He proposed regulating speed limits and making zones for double-decker buses.