The Department of Land Transport (DLT) has warned passenger van operators that any deployment of vans over 10 years old in service will result in 50,000 – 200,000 baht fines.
The new regulation is in place in keeping with insurance companies’ policies which will not provide compensation in any accident case involving vans older than 10 years, which will cause trouble to operators and not provide necessary protection to passengers. Passengers are encouraged to report any issues involving public van services to the 1584 24-hour call center.
In the meantime, the DLT is also pushing forward a campaign encouraging the use of mini buses to replace vans, starting with vans older than 10 years.
During the transition period, the DLT is also offering low-interest loans to carriers, through a Memorandum of Understanding between the Transport Company, Krungthai Bank and Thai Credit Guarantee Corporation, for operators to replace their vans with mini-buses. A One Stop Service center has also been set up to facilitate and assist transport operators regarding the replacement of vans reaching their end of service life.
