This is the dramatic moment passengers waiting on a pavement dodged an out-of-control bus hurtling towards them.

The locals were standing on a curb along Si Phraya Road in Bangkok, Thailand, when the bus lurched onto the sidewalk and slammed into a tree in front of them on September 18.

CCTV footage shows the passengers leaping away with seconds to spare as the vehicle crashed outside a shop.

Officers from the Bangrak district police station arrived at the scene, where they found the damaged bus along with the toppled tree and smashed-up two-wheeler. They said five people had suffered minor abrasions.

Cops administered an alcohol test and found the driver was sober when the accident occurred.

Speaking to local media, the unnamed driver blamed the crash on malfunctioning brakes. He said he had tried to drive along the sidewalk to reduce his speed before slamming into the tree.

The man, who said he was just a substitute driver, said the bus had undergone inspection before he took it along its regular route.

He was fined 1,000 THB (28 USD) for reckless driving resulting in damage to government property. The injured individuals have declined to press charges against him, police said.

Authorities said transportation was arranged for the affected bus passengers. The accident had caused traffic congestion in the area as authorities took three hours to clear the crash site.

The capital city's fleet of aging diesel buses have been the subject of debate in recent years, with locals calling for public funds to be used to replace them with fleets of electric vehicles.