Drivers of polluting vehicles will be arrested, warns Prayut

[malibukid]

April 1st. already?

[fxe1200]

Since years the government, Prayuth first of all, talks. And they will keep on talking, as their sole interest is to relieve Thailand of the taxes paid. Thailand got stuck by a bunch of criminals.

[Mitkof Island]

I think its a great idea. That would get at least 60% of the cars, trucks and motorbikes off the roads. Far fewer would die yearly. Force everyone onto the buses and trains. The remainder who are overweight from 7-11 would either have to walk or ride bikes like the old days. Ever notice most Thais and foreigners here can,t walk more than twenty feet ? Soon no need for legs either.

[mikebell]

To arrest anyone, you need a police force.

[Mitkof Island]

1 hour ago, thhMan said:

As all vehicles pollute, are we back to horse and carts?

Is that such a bad idea?

[Bundooman]

3 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

That doesn't bode well for tens of thousands of bus, taxi and songthaew drivers around the country, or is it more hot air coming from his mouth ?

Tens of thousands or tens of millions? I travel 20Kms daily - 10Kms each way in Chiangmai. I alternate my journey by either driving along the very busy Hang dong road, or by travelling by the more picturesque route along the River Ping.

 

In that short space of time and distance, 1.5 hours daily and just two or three roads, I constantly see vehicles, trucks, buses, vans, taxis, songtaews, motorbikes or tuk tuks, I reckon I see at least 30 -40 of them daily, belching out some form of obnoxious fumes.

 

Now multiply my short journey by the thousands upon thousands of roads and millions of vehicles throughout Thailand. 

 

Tens of 'thousands or millions'?

[mickey rat]

Take away the black smoke and noise bellowing from their cars, trucks and moter scooters and they will have nothing to live for. ????

[malibukid]

talk cheap in LOS

[madmitch]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

The department also plans to install more real-time sewage detectors that will send information round the clock.

If they install them in Parliament they'll go into overdrive every time Pryaut and his cronies open their mouths!

[transam]

Perhaps monitor the test stations first, never seen a smoking shed fail....

[yellowboat]

3 hours ago, z42 said:

What a ridiculous thing to say, even by his standards.

So are they going to start with those people driving those clapped out old buses from the 80's (or earlier), or stop his deputy taking the RTP plane for short journeys? And are those new Tanks they bought gonna run on fresh air or what?

 

Or how about make his motorcades shorter by 5 cars or so. They are super excessive over here.

He is delusional and not much of a thinker.  Some of the worst polluters were some of the BMA buses.  cha cha is all stick and no carrot.   When I was a kid, I water injected my car.  Supposedly, it adds more power and reduces air pollution.  Also since CNG is in abundance in Thailand, why not get more people to convert?  He's a knuckle head who still wields unchecked power thanks to the yellows. 

[xr399]

4 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

That doesn't bode well for tens of thousands of bus, taxi and songthaew drivers around the country, or is it more hot air coming from his mouth ?

Hot air for sure... it is absolutely criminal what they let drive on the roads here. Manys a time I have had to actually slow down to be able to see properly when a juiced up (probably driver juiced as well) & grossly overloaded pickup flys by wide open throttle at 30 or 40 kph over the speed limit and lays down a blanket of thick diesel smoke.

[ttrd]

RE - Drivers of polluting vehicles will be arrested, warns Prayut

 

* Wonder why empty streets came to my mind ... ????

 

 

 

[legend49]

Matching the number of lies daily with someone looking at impeachment, he must be inspired by his visit to the UN recently , now into a competition with the other one.

[cmrichsw]

What no time limit this time?  555????

[dlclark97]

An ambitious effort to say the least.  IF it actually comes to fruition.  So many vehicles here in Thailand when driving behind them you would think they were fogging for mosquitos.  Have even been behind one that the exhaust was so thick it turned on my automatic windshield wipers.  Poorly maintained commercial trucks and buses are probably the biggest offenders but there are literally 1000's of cars and pickups that should not be on public roads for both polluting and many other maintenance and safety issues.  I love Thailand and my life here but the lack of enforcement of so many laws that are designed and intended for the protection and safety of all residents, tourists and foreign residents is a big problem yet many new laws are proposed and implemented only adding to the lack of enforcement of all laws.  Thailand needs a police force on the roads capable of stopping and ticketing offending drivers. 

[newnative]

   Just more talk, talk, talk.   How about publicizing on billboards a number you can call to report a polluting vehicle and maybe get a monetary reward?  

[Asquith Production]

So only enforcement and no help. Why not allow no interest government loans for companies that take the old vehicles off the road and buy new emission friendly ones

[RichardColeman]

Can't see Thai police taking their pocket money of the streets

[Baerboxer]

4 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

That doesn't bode well for tens of thousands of bus, taxi and songthaew drivers around the country, or is it more hot air coming from his mouth ?

 

If they drive the length of Lam Luk Ka road, from the Airforce base near the National Memorial, all the way to Ongahrak, they will catch enough to populate a new prison!

 

 

[davemos]

Prehaps its time to electrify the public transport sector and a higher tax on diesel! There is a bike lane proposal that would help too .Time to leave the dinosaur combustion engine behind !

[FarFlungFalang]

Seems like the Pollutant is calling on polluters to stop polluting the pollution with their popular polluting pollutants causing the pollution to be even more polluted with popular pollution polluting pollutants if the popular polluting pollutants prevalent in political pundits persist in presently polluted pollutants presently populating procrastinating politically parasitical PM's perverse performance perpetuates poor practices promoting perpetual problems preventing pollutants polluting pollution.   

[toofarnorth]

57 minutes ago, transam said:

Perhaps monitor the test stations first, never seen a smoking shed fail....

I say this to 'er indoors just about every time we are behind a bus . I got tax and insurance for my 4 yo Forza a week or 2 ago by mistake , the wife took my book in instead of hers ( for her scoot test ), so my bike never got looked at. The 10 yo Vios gets looked at and checked ok so why so many vehicles blowing out smoke ?  My thought is the plod should stop any vehicle ( ok to be fair this would mean them working for a living ) look at the MOT go back to the testing station and ask why is this thing allowed on the road .  ' Was alright 2 munfs ago when testad gov '.....not good enough.

[bluesofa]

3 minutes ago, FarFlungFalang said:

Seems like the Pollutant is calling on polluters to stop polluting the pollution with their popular polluting pollutants causing the pollution to be even more polluted with popular pollution polluting pollutants if the popular polluting pollutants prevalent in political pundits persist in presently polluted pollutants presently populating procrastinating politically parasitical PM's perverse performance perpetuates poor practices promoting perpetual problems preventing pollutants polluting pollution.   

I think you're taking the pee.

[Naamblar2014]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha said drivers of vehicles emitting pollution will be arrested

Well that's every internal combustion engine powered vehicle. Going to be busy arresting the whole country.

[ubon farang]

5 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

That doesn't bode well for tens of thousands of bus, taxi and songthaew drivers around the country, or is it more hot air coming from his mouth ?

More hot air yes u are right Might be ok saying this but who will actually arrest them The cops

[Srikcir]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha said drivers of vehicles emitting pollution will be arrested

I think Prayut is channeling his junta-persona as this statement if applied to privately-owned vehicles is would be an abuse of power as I understand The Enhancement and Conservation of National Environmental Quality Act, B.E. 2535 (1992) and its various provisions. http://thailaws.com/law/t_laws/tlaw0280.pdf

• Unless that Act has been amended, it does not provide for criminal prosecution of owners of private vehicles operating legally on public roads that violate air pollution standards set forth by the Act.

Chapter 4 "Pollution Control," Part 4 "Air & Noise Pollution,"

• Section 55 prescribes the emission standards
• Section 64 provides that every usable vehicle shall conform to the emission standards prescribed for such vehicle pursuant to Section 55.
• Section 65 - If it is found that the use of any vehicle is in violation of Section 64, the competent official shall have the power to prohibit the use of the vehicle permanently or until it will have been modified or improved to meet the emission standards requirement prescribed pursuant to Section 55.

Chapter 6, "Civil Liability," Chapter 7 "Penal Provision"

• Section 102 Any person who violates the order of competent official forbidding the use of vehicle according to Section 65 shall be punished by fine not exceeding five thousand Baht.

I find NOTHING in the Act (unless specifically amended) that gives Prayut (recall he also supervises the National Police) any law enforcement authority to arrest vehicle owners (and presumably operators if not an owner) and criminally prosecute such person as related solely to violation of air emission standards, ie., on public roads. Such person gets a fine and the vehicle can be impounded.

Unless there have been amendments to this Act that provide for arrest and criminal prosecution under Section 64, Prayut's comment to arrest of drivers whose vehicle that emits air pollution is "Fake News" at best and abuse of power at worse.

Laws are enacted by the National Legislative Assembly and Prayut needs to respect its authority in accordance to the Constitution.

Edited October 4, 2019 by Srikcir
slight caveot editing

[thaibeachlovers]

555555555555555555555555

Meanwhile the burning continues unabated in the north.

[dallen52]

Why not enforce the law to its written extent and arrest drivers of unregistered vehicles. 

Drivers without licenses. 

Drivers drunk in charge of a vehicle. 

Drivers going through red lights.

And let's not forget the "Forrest Gumps" who do a runner and leave the scene of an accident. 

 

Perhaps compulsory vehicle testing every year after say 5 years should be mandatory. 

And I mean actually done..

Not just the exchange of a few notes, and off you go...

[Burma Bill]

Quote:-

"drivers of vehicles emitting pollution will be arrested"

 

All drivers, including those in public transport and the military?? I can see transport chaos in Bangkok when many buses and trucks are abandoned at the roadside after the arrest of their drivers!