A major bus firm has launched an investigation into claims that one of its drivers expelled three passengers, including a woman and two children, from a bus in Rayong after midnight on Sunday.
The probe came after a Facebook user accused the driver of a Rayong-bound passenger bus of forcing her, her granddaughter and another girl to leave the bus in a deserted area of this eastern province at 2am on Sunday.
The driver closed the door as soon as the passengers were asked to get off the bus, wrote the Facebook user. She said she started crying and was fearful for the safety of the two girls. It was her first trip to Rayong and she would never take this bus again, she wrote.
The driver and the bus company came under heavy criticism after the story and images of the elderly woman and the two girls went viral.
The Bangkok Post on Monday sought an explanation from Khon Kaen Charn Trading Co, operator of the bus, regarding the matter.
Narong Saeng-arun, general manager of the bus company, also known as Charn Tour Co, said his firm has ordered a fact-finding probe into the incident.
The company's initial investigation found that the three passengers had boarded the company’s Nakhon Phanom-Rayong bus No 827-14 at Khon Kaen bus terminal to go to Rayong.
When the bus arrived in Rayong, he said, the driver drove past the bus terminal and was about to make a U-turn to drop the remaining passengers at the terminal. However, the woman appeared frightened and asked the girl to tell the driver to stop the bus, said Mr Narong.
The driver then stopped the bus at the location shown in the Facebook post. The location was in front of a well-lit commercial building, he added.
The accused bus driver and other staff concerned would be called in for questioning, said Mr Narong. If they were found guilty of the accusation, punishments - ranging from a salary cut to suspension or termination - would be imposed on them.
“Our firm would like to apologise to the passengers for service that left them dissatisfied. Company executives put great emphasis on providing good bus transportation services and instruct staff to serve passengers as though they were family members,’’ said the general manager.
