The vehicle fire horror that claimed the lives of 20 students, three teachers, and many injured people on Tuesday has sparked a controversy over whether student education trips should be completely prohibited. Some argue that field trips continue to be a significant component of students ‘ learning process while raising the issue of whether people vehicle security should be a priority.
After the crash, Education Minister Permpoon Chidchob ordered individuals ‘ area trips to be suspended.
The secretary said that case-by-case health inspections for the buses arranged for the trips may be conducted by provincial property transport offices. Additionally, field trips may be categorised according to students ‘ ages.
Long-distance inter-provincial journeys may need to be avoided while younger children may need to be accompanied by their families on the journey.
But, Pol Gen Permpoon argued that while banning them altogether will be a deterrent, training excursions are also necessary for learning. He also emphasized the need for a path incident response drill to ensure that drivers are trained on how to live and avoid an accident.
The victims were on a field trip in Pathum Thani when a fire raged through their van on Tuesday, killing them.
39 learners from Kindergarten 2 through Mathayom 3 and six teachers from the Wat Khao Praya Sangkharam class in Uthai Thani’s Lan Sak area, which is about 250 kilometers away from the accident’s site, were on the bus.
In Pathum Thani’s Lam Luk Ka city, the bus caught on fire on the northbound lane of Vibhavadi Rangsit Road near the Zeer Rangsit shopping center.
The next of a three-bus ship transporting kids to an exhibition at the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand company in Bang Kruai region in Nonthaburi was the car, belonging to Sing Buri-based Chinnaboot Tour. They had previously been to Ayutthaya’s History Park. It was a one-day learning journey.
The bus drivers, identified as Samarn Chanphut, 48, fled the scene before surrendering to authorities on Tuesday night. His permission has been suspended, and he faces losing his licence entirely if found liable.
A fuel leak was identified as the cause of the horror when investigative officers examined the ill-fated bus.
The bus had 11 tanks containing compressed natural gas ( CNG ), and a fuel line, which carries gas from a tank to the engine, had come loose, causing the leak. The remaining vehicles were not registered, but six of the 11 CNG vehicles that were installed on the vehicle were.
There was no proof of a front wheel explosion, as recently reported, but the front-wheel wheel was broken and showed signs of having scraped against the street area.
The cause of the fires that set off the lights and why the oil was leaking has not yet been determined.
The Department of Land Transport announced that it will check every 13, 426 CNG-powered vehicle in the country within the next 60 times.
Health concerns
One survivor claimed the fire started at the front of the vehicle and took less than a minute before the fire engulfed the car, according to Thanapong Jinvong, director of the Thailand’s Road Safety Group. This means the travellers had little time to escape, he said.
” The question is why the fire started to rage through the vehicle so quickly. Is the fuel system malfunctioning here? Generally, there should be an automatic protection shut-off valve as a safety mechanism. Also, there was no record of petrol tank blast in this case”, he said.
The bus’s crisis door was stuck, which is another problem. More people may have survived if the doorway had worked correctly, according to Dr. Thanapong, adding that there were no other members of the bus to help put the fire out.
He added that Thailand lacks a main organization that acts as a resource for the authorities to develop strategies, policies, and police initiatives, such as the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research in Malaysia.
We lack a specialized, independent agency that can identify the root causes of the fireplace, provide solutions to the government in a comprehensive manner, and educate the general public,” he said.
” We just have experts working for different organizations. Often, they don’t talk out about mistakes or flaws at their companies”.
Vehicles used for short-term procedures must be inspected more thoroughly by state firms before the trips, and public transportation authorities should compile listings of bus companies that offer colleges options that meet safety standards.
Additionally, we need to discuss whether educational trips are also necessary. Do]young ] pupils have to take a trip across provinces? I concurred that industry visits for various ages of school children should be categorised.
He continued, adding that the majority of Thai people still do not understand how to deal with and survive street mishaps. A highway safety course for Thai students, according to a study by our party, only occupied an hour of the semester, he said.
He added that in addition to the driver, there should be another team member on board a vehicle hired for a college vacation. The team member is open the emergency door and use an extinguishers to put out a fire, he said.
Thanapong: Form a road safety company
Public health costs drive
Suchatvee Suwansawat, a former president of the Engineering Institute of Thailand ( EIT ), said he plans to table a bill on public safety to parliament for consideration. At least 10,000 people must support the bill, which will be submitted on behalf of the legal business.
To date, about 1, 000 names have been collected in support of the invoice, said Mr Suchatvee, who likewise serves as a deputy chief of the Democrat Party.
He stated that the vehicle fire horror is intended to raise awareness of the importance of highway safety among the electorate and that he hopes more people will sign the bill.
A committee on public health may be established and make a direct report to the prime minister if the bill passes through parliament and becomes rules.
” The commission will include members of the Council of Engineers, the EIT, scientists, expert authorities and the public, “he said.
The council will act as a main organization that will dispatch police and rescue personnel on the ground and give officials and experts on issues involving street accidents and disasters.
They may sell their understanding, gather data, and other information to help them come up with strategies and action plans, and then turn in reports to parliament.
” The council will also get complaints from the standard public”, he said. With the assistance of experts,” the bill will improve efforts to save victims and prevent accents more carefully.”
Suchatvee: Bill needs public assistance
A moratorium is no answer
Kanyawan Samranpanich, a mother of two individuals attending a Bangkok college, said that she disagrees with any attempt to boycott education trips.
These visits provide individuals with an opportunity to observe, join, learn new things and have fun in an environment different from their normal schools, she said.
” Banning educational trips is not a solution. The trips are not the issue, but it is about enforcing security measures.
” The open vehicle may meet safety standards. But many cars have been improperly modified,” she said.
She argued that young children should only be permitted to travel short distances within their home regions or to local provinces as opposed to long-distance trips.
Teachers and students should routinely participate in street injury response drills, and public buses should always be checked for safety, she said.
A ban on academic trips, according to Adisak Plitponkarnpim, director of Mahidol University’s National Institute for Child and Family, does not solve the issue.
What we should do is address concerns about the safety of people buses. The rules are that, but the issue is]lack of ] protection, “he said.
He added that the Department of Land Transport may review the regulations governing the issuance of public bus driving licenses by reviewing the owners ‘ information and holding training sessions on vehicle safety.
If a vehicle vehicle is properly trained in handling emergency situations, he claimed, losses may be slowed.
He added that agencies may assess locally-made double-deckers, which are commonly used to carry foreign tourists, to guarantee they meet safety standards.
Adisak: Lack of law enforcement
Noppadon Pattama, an MP from the Pheu Thai Party list, also demanded that the government enforc strict regulations regarding traffic and public buses.
He claimed that speed-limiting technology should be made mandatory for public buses so they do n’t exceed the required speed limits because exceeding speed limits is another major cause of road accidents.
He further stated that double-deckers should no longer be operating because it is difficult for passengers to leave in an accident.
House committee on education Sophon Zarum said that those responsible for arranging the bus and providing the service must bear the brunt of the bus fire tragedy.
He further stated that the government needs to expedite the recovery and compensation of the injured and the families of the accident victims.
Noppadon: Inspect local double-deckers
Sophon: Blame service provider