Tour firm put illegal tanks on whole fleet

Authorities have seized the remaining five buses owned by Shinbutr Tour after discovering each had 11 gas tanks installed — exceeding the legal limit of six — just like the ill-fated school bus that caught fire recently, resulting in the death of 23 people, according to Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit.
He said the company failed to send the buses for inspection at the land transport office in Lop Buri on Thursday afternoon as required, so officials used their GPS system to track and locate the vehicles at a garage in Nakhon Ratchasima.
Mr Suriya said when the officials arrived, garage workers were seen removing the gas tanks from the five buses, leading to the confiscation of the vehicles. According to the minister, only six gas tanks are allowed to be installed per bus.
Charges will be pressed against the company and those involved in the illegal modifications, and authorities will determine whether the garage is to face legal action, he said.
The company was ordered to send the buses to be inspected following the tragic bus accident that claimed the lives of 20 students and three teachers on Tuesday.
The inspection of the ill-fated bus by forensic police concluded that a gas leak was the cause of the tragedy.
The bus had 11 tanks containing compressed natural gas (CNG), and a fuel line, which carries gas from the tank to the engine, had come loose, causing the leak. Six of the eleven CNG tanks installed on the bus were registered, while the remaining tanks were not.
There was no evidence of a front tyre explosion, as previously reported, but the front-wheel shaft was broken and showed signs of having scraped against the road surface. It has not yet been determined what caused the sparks that ignited the flames or why the gas was leaking.
The Department of Land Transport (DLT) said it will inspect all 13,426 vehicles using CNG nationwide within 60 days.
Addressing concerns that other companies may have removed their illegally installed gas tanks by the time of inspection, Mr Suriya admitted the process takes time but said there should still be traces of tampering.
In a related development, a joint House-Senate committee on transport is scheduled to meet on Oct 25 to discuss safety measures aimed at preventing the recurrence of such tragic incidents and boosting road safety for both students and the general public.
Nikorn Chamnong, a member of the committee, expressed confidence the upcoming meeting would be productive and that the committee would come up with measures to significantly improve transport safety.
Chuan Leekpai, Democrat MP for Trang, said yesterday the school bus fire was one of the country’s worst safety lapses and should serve as a reminder for all involved not to turn a blind eye to safety violations.
He said educational trips arranged by schools should not be cancelled, but stressed that safety must take priority.