5,000 baht fines to be introduced to passengers not wearing seatbelts on buses

From May 11th onwards the Department of Land Transport has warned that passengers on busses who are not wearing their seatbelts will face a fine of 5,000 baht in accordance with Thai law.

The departments director-general Atsa Thairattanadilok na Phuket inspected Morchit bus terminal on Tuesday in Bangkok, a visit that was organized to ensure that stickers were displayed on busses to let passengers know that the regulations are to be enforced. He said that from April 1st bus operators have been required to fix all safety belts on their provincial busses, often called tour buses.

The department has also asked the Transport Ministry to issue ministerial regulation, requiring that passengers keep their seat belts fastened at all times while seated. Some passengers are reluctant to wear seatbelts according to the director-general, despite continued promotions into their benefits as safety devices.

According to research conducted around the country passengers who did not wear belts were 1.52 times more likely to die in the event of a bus accidents, seat belts have been found to reduce the rate of fatalities in road accidents by 34%. Anybody traveling on a bus can report any missing or broken seatbelts by phoning the 1584 24 hour hotline number.

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