Buses booked-out for New Year, extra services planned

Mor Chit Bus Terminal in Chatuchak district of Bangkok crowded with holidaymakers heading to family homes in the provinces on Dec 28 last year. The Transport Co says all interprovincial services out of Bangkok are fully booked ahead of New Year holiday this year, but extra buses will be scheduled. (File photo)

Regular bus services on all routes out of Bangkok are already booked-out for the New Year holiday, but extra bus services will be provided for people who missed out.

Jirasak Yaovatsakul, Transport Co president, said on Friday that holidaymakers still wanting to make arrangements to travel could buy seat tickets on extra buses on routes such as Bangkok-Chiang Mai, Bangkok-Chiang Rai, Bangkok-Nan, Bangkok-Sakon Nakhon, Bangkok-Nakhon Phanom, Bangkok-Surat Thani and Bangkok-Samui.

Operators had advised they could put 1,500 extra buses on the roads during the New Year, Mr Jirasak said.

The Transport Co had instructed heads of all bus terminals to prioritise safe travel and provide convenience for passengers during the festival.

Bus operators and ticket staff were also told not to sell more tickets than there were seats available. They were not allowed to arrange for passengers to be picked up outside the terminal. Any breaches would be severely penalised, Mr Jirasak said.

Passengers were advised to buy tickets only at ticket booths and to check the fares, which were displayed in front of the booths, to prevent being ripped off.

Passengers should immediately alert officials if they spotted something suspicious.

Bus drivers would be tested for alcohol consumption, he said. Traffic police would also be manning checkpoints to inspect public buses on main roads.

Buses would be fitted with GPS systems to ensure drivers stayed within the speed limit of 90kph. There would be two drivers on long-haul buses to ensure passenger safety.