The military government plans to ban public commuter vans from providing long-distance services following several reports of accidents.
Junta spokesman Pol. Gen. Wintai Surawi said queues of vans blocked traffic, while the vehicles themselves were not suitable to transport passengers over long distances.
As a result, officials plan to either completely pull the vans off the road or only allow them to run within Bangkok and the metropolis within the next five years.
Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan added that the objective of the crackdown was to increase safety, but at the same time they will try to minimise the impact on citizens, Nation TV reported.
Public vans are a popular transport option with commuters as they’re one of the most convenient and cheapest ways of traveling between the inner city and the outskirts of Bangkok.
A ride to a major residential area such as Muang Thong Thani and Rangsit from the inner city is approximately THB30, while a one-hour ride out of the city to destinations such as Hua Hin and Pattaya is only THB150.
Officials plan to commission Chulalongkorn University to conduct a study on the public vans before they decide how they will proceed with the crackdown, as taking them off the road completely will affect both operators and commuters.
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