Vans drivers protest new safe speed limit

New safety rules hurting business, say van drivers, so they want to make their own rules that include exemption from new speed limit & no GPS devices to monitor safety compliance.

ROAD SAFETY & THE LAW

Vans drivers protest new safe speed limit law

3/05/2017
Amornrat Mahitthirook

Operators of chartered van services (vans for hire) are calling on the government to enact a new law that would allow them to exclusively govern their operations.

Because they are put in the same category as public vans, charted van operators are required to follow a new set of safety rules and regulations.

The new rules include the requirement that public vans:

1. Install special a GPS device to monitor speeds,

2. Drive according to the new safe speed limit of 90 kilometers per hour,

3. Drive in the left lane, and...

4. Adhere to special rules on drivers' working hours and parking.

The new rules are due to be fully enforced by the end of the year.

DON'T WANT NEW SPEED LIMITS

The chartered vans are more like limousine and taxi services and should not be restrained by the new speed limit of 90 km/hr that passenger vans or buses stay under while driving.

This is according to Yutthana Intrayuth, representative of the chartered van drivers group,

He also called for leniency on the speed limit rule until a new law is enforced.

"VIP vans cannot limit their hours of operation like passenger buses because they don't operate on fixed routes."

"The speed limit should also be flexible," Mr Yutthana said.

CHARTERED VAN LOSES CONTROL, HITS TREE & SEVERELY INJURES FIVE

A whole South Korean family with five family members aged 41 to 5 years of age were seriously injured when the driver of a chartered van en route to Suvarnabhumi airport lost control, overturned and hit a tree in Phetchaburi province this week.

Two people had to be cut free from the wreckage.

The driver blamed a car that cut in front of him causing him to lose control. He was taking the Koreans from Hua Hin to Suvarnabhumi Airport.

Although there was apparently no GPS device in the van to ascertain his exact speed at the time of the accident, driving at higher speeds makes it more difficult to control a vehicle when unexpected events such as cars cutting in front happen (Source: Thaivisa here).
 
In a similar recent accident, a taxi driver fell asleep, drove into a lamp post and killed a Danish tourist inside. Long work hours, regulated under the new laws, are a common cause of falling asleep at the wheel (see here).

NEW SAFETY RULES HURTING VAN BUSINESS

There are more than 100,000 chartered vans across the country with half of them operating in Bangkok and neighbouring provinces.

Yutthana Intrayuth, representative of the group, said those rules are hurting the chartered van service, which is popular and used for business trips and tourism purposes.

Chartered van companies ply non-fixed routes, so they should not be subject to the same rules that govern public services.

A petition seeking amendments to the Land Transport Act has been submitted to the government and the Transport Ministry.

A copy of he petition will be forwarded to the National Legislative Assembly (NLA).

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/1242550/chartered-van-operators-call-for-exclusive-law

https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/981195-korean-family-dont-make-the-airport-as-minivan-overturns-in-phetchaburi/

https://www.facebook.com/farangdeaths/

https://www.farang-deaths.com/case/thomas-barsch/

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