Thai DPM:Special measures will be enforced to reduce road accidents

BANGKOK, January 6 (TNA) - The Thai army-led National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) plans to impose special measures by next week, aimed to increase road safety and reduce road accidents nationwide. Thai Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Visanu Krea-ngam, who is also an NCPO member, told journalists on Friday that NCPO is discussing with agencies concerned before imposing the special measures under Article 44 of the NCPO's doctrine by next week, aimed to strictly curb road accidents and increase road safety, with stern legal action to be taken against violators of traffic rules. The deputy prime minister said that Thai Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-ocha, in his capacity as the NCPO Chief, has raised the idea on enforcing the special measures timely for next long public holidays in the country. The deputy premier explained that the Royal Thai Police and the Department of Land Transport, under the Ministry of Transport, have already proposed an amendment of the existing traffic bill, but the special measures under Article 44 are needed to be implemented pending the promulgation of the amended traffic law, which is going through regular procedures with more time consuming. The deputy prime minister acknowledged agencies concerned, including the Royal Thai Police, the Department of Land Transport and the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, under the Ministry of Interior, have proposed that the special measures, to be announced by the prime minister and the NCPO chief, should include strict control on the standard speed limit and an increased mandate of police officers to inspect drivers' legally-required documents aboard. The deputy prime minister noted that the special measures will be particularly imposed on passenger vans to strictly control their conditions in all aspects, covering drivers' behaviors and readiness, as well as the number of standard seats and exits and even accessories in each van, namely engine and fuel systems, while also legally requiring each van to be equipped with close-circuit televisions (CCTVs) and the global positioning system (GPS) for public safety. The deputy premier announced that passenger vans will be totally banned by 2019, when legal licenses of all the currently-run vehicles will expire and no more passenger vans will be licensed, even newly-purchased ones. (TNA)