Transport Company to operate nearly 9,000 bus trips a day during New Year festival

BANGKOK, Dec 7 (TNA) -- State-run Transport Company plans to operate about 9,000 interprovincial bus trips to serve 190,000 passengers daily during New Year holidays. Its managing director Jirasak Yaowatsakul said his state enterprise expected the heavy New Year exodus from Bangkok on Dec 28-30 and tremendous return traffic on Jan 2 and 3. For the exodus, it will operate 8,700 bus trips daily, up from normally 6,200 trips. That will be capable of carrying 198,000 passengers a day. For return traffic, it will increase bus trips from 6,238 by 1,700 a day to serve up to 163,000 passengers daily. Mr Jirasak projected that more passengers would board vans on their return trips. To relieve congestion at the Mo Chit bus terminal on Dec 28-30, Transport Co will have passengers of first class and VIP buses on northern and northeastern routes depart from the nearby Land Transport Department. For safety, Mr Jirasak said buses would be checked well, their speed would be controlled with a global positioning system, two drivers would be deployed on routes farther than 400 kilometres and bus drivers would undergo alcohol tests on their ways. (TNA)