Transport Co buses must install GPS

BANGKOK, December 31 (TNA) - Effective from New Year’s Day, state-run buses operated by Transport Co. Ltd. must install the Global Positioning System (GPS) to ensure more safety for passengers, said Wattana Pattarachon, Deputy Director-General of Land Transport Department. Wattana said more people now prefer to travel by buses, especially during festivals, and in order to promote safety for them the Land Transport Department had issued an order requiring bus drivers of Transport Co. Ltd. to undertake a training, to be conducted by either the Land Transport Department or other agencies assigned by the department starting from January 1. Currently, Transport Co. Ltd. has about 800 buses serving passengers travelling between Bangkok and upcountry, he said, adding that buses operated by private firms will be asked later to also install the GPS system. The Land Transport Department also requires trucks transporting toxic substances to install GPS Tracking system, aimed at controlling drivers not to drive over the speed limit and to also ensure that they work efficiently, he said. Under the regulation, trucks which are officially registered before January 1, 2013 but are not yet equipped with the On-Line GPS Tracking, required by the Department, must have them installed within January 1, 2014. And for trucks which have already installed the wrong system, they are required to dismantle and install the proper equipment within January 1, 2015, said Wattana. (TNA)