Highway security in Thailand has been thrust into the general public highlight following a lethal incident final week when a faculty bus caught hearth and killed 23 younger college students and lecturers.
Investigations are ongoing to find out what ignited the blaze, nevertheless it was steered a gasoline leak might have brought on it. Authorities came upon that the bus was fitted with 11 pure gasoline canisters although it had a allow for less than six.
Public outrage has put officers below scrutiny concerning security requirements, particularly after it emerged that the bus had handed an inspection solely 4 months earlier than the hearth.
Households of the victims have known as for a tightening of auto security.
CNG buses and hearth security requirements
Thai Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit stated the federal government would launch a probe into using compressed pure gasoline (CNG) in buses.
In line with official information, there are over 13,000 CNG-powered buses within the nation.
The Transport Ministry has ordered the Division of Land Transport (DLT) to examine all CNG buses inside two months to make sure that they meet hearth security requirements.
Sumet Ongkittikul, analysis director for transportation and logistics coverage on the Thailand Improvement Analysis Institute, instructed broadcaster Thai PBS that many buses which are in service don’t meet the requirements.
He identified that solely 5% of the round 10,000 buses meet the brand new requirements on non-flammable supplies that got here into impact in 2022.
Nonetheless, the brand new rules didn’t apply to the automobiles that had already been in service, and bus corporations complained that becoming their outdated automobiles with fire-retardant supplies can be too pricey, Sumet stated.
“In different nations, related requirements are utilized retroactively to each outdated and new buses,” he underlined.
Harmful roads
Thai journalist Pravit Rojanaphruk stated street security has lengthy been a significant situation in Thailand, with insufficient enforcement contributing to hundreds of deaths yearly.
The Southeast Asian nation has one of many highest charges of site visitors fatalities on the planet, recording about 25.7 deaths per 100,000 individuals in 2021, in contrast with a world common of 15, based on the World Well being Group (WHO).
In Asia, Thailand has the second-deadliest roads after Nepal. It ranks sixteenth on the planet for site visitors mortality, alongside Chad and Guinea-Bissau, the WHO stated.
Total, round 20,000 persons are killed yearly on Thailand’s roads — a median of greater than 50 a day.
“There was little or no or no tangible enchancment. Most pillion riders on a bike proceed to journey not sporting a helmet. Bus inspection is prone to bribery and we solely discuss street security when there are main site visitors accidents like the college bus hearth which killed 23,” Pravit instructed DW.
“The scenario is made extra tragic by the shortage of will from politicians, officers and most of the people to make tangible enchancment on street security a nationwide agenda with clearly a set goal to cut back the typical 38 individuals killed on the street each single day since January 1 this 12 months,” he added.
What’s the scenario in different Southeast Asian nations?
The issue is, nevertheless, not restricted to Thailand, as different Southeast Asian nations, significantly Malaysia and Vietnam, confront related challenges.
In September, Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke stated there was an pressing want to deal with street questions of safety within the nation after statistics confirmed there have been 6,443 fatalities in 2023.
He known as for the day by day publication of deadly crash statistics in efforts to lift consciousness amongst drivers and encourage them to take extra precautions.
He additionally urged drivers to affix native commuting security applications and goals to cut back street deaths by half by the 12 months 2030.
The kind of transport additionally performs a significant position within the accidents.
In Thailand, for example, over 4 in 5 deaths concerned motorbikes, in contrast with a world common of 1 in 5, the AFP information company reported, citing street security watchdog Thai RSC.
Bikes and moped scooters are additionally ubiquitous on Vietnam’s streets. And it’s estimated that motorcycle-related incidents account for about 80% of complete street site visitors crashes within the nation.
The Vietnamese authorities got here up with new guidelines this 12 months to sort out street questions of safety, for example, mandating all kids touring in automobiles to be secured in a baby automotive seat if they’re aged below 10 or beneath 135 cm (round 4′ 4″) in peak.
The WHO stated street site visitors crashes are a number one explanation for demise for youngsters and younger adults aged 5 to 29 years, in Vietnam in addition to globally.
With the brand new security guidelines, the road-related deaths of Vietnamese kids may come down by as much as 71%, the company estimated.
“These legislation adjustments are a vote for youngsters’s security, and can assist realise the promise of protected mobility — particularly for younger individuals — in Vietnam,” Angela Pratt, WHO consultant in Vietnam, stated in July.
Chinese language tech to assist?
Specialists and entrepreneurs in Southeast Asia have known as for nations to create real-time apps to observe street circumstances and supply updates to drivers on the street.
Some politicians have spoken in favor of adopting newest applied sciences and synthetic intelligence instruments to sort out site visitors issues.
Thai Transport Minister Suriya steered using Chinese language expertise to forestall street accidents.
“If Huawei’s expertise can increase the effectivity of site visitors administration and catastrophe prevention, it is going to be alternative to advertise Thailand as a regional transport hub consistent with the federal government’s coverage,” he stated in September.
