Dept of Highways to Return M-Flow Fines

[snoop1130]

 

BANGKOK (NNT) - The Transport Minister has instructed officials to return the 10-fold fines the Department of Highways (DOH) collected from motorists who failed to pay the new M-Flow toll fees. He ordered the postponement of the imposition of the hefty fines until the end of March.

 

The move came after massive complaints about the exorbitant fine surfaced on social media.

 

Minister Saksayam Chidchob explained that the new M-Flow tolls are expected to address the issue of congestion in front of the toll gates.

 

M-Flow, according to the DOH, is an autonomous free-flow system that makes use of artificial intelligence technologies such as video-toll cameras. AI technologies can accurately match car license plates to their owners 99 percent of the time, allowing drivers to pass through toll gates without slowing down and at a maximum speed of 120 kilometers per hour.

 

The M-Flow system is capable of processing between 2,000 and 2,500 vehicles per hour per lane. The DOH anticipates a fivefold increase in traffic volume around toll gates compared to the current cash payment system.

 

The DOH also reported that, since M-Flow’s debut on February 15th, there were about 20,000 unregistered motorists who have been fined. The department gave reassurance that the department would return the fines it had collected by March.

 

-- © Copyright NNT 2022-02-25

 

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[Sydebolle]

Saksayam Chidchob, another ignorant oligarch representative of the dinosaur elite.

He might want to study the Swiss system, in place for more than 40 years. The present fee is a flat CHF 40 (1,400 Baht) and covers all tollways anywhere in Switzerland for a full year. Sold through convenience stores, post offices or at the point of entry into Switzerland (immigration/customs), it is a small sticker (called "vignette") to be affixed on the wind screen. If you try to remove it, it is torn apart to avoid mischief use of the sticker. 

The system is explained here and would be very, very simple to apply with immediate effect. Needless to say, that the Swiss surplus earnings on the tollway stickers is used to subsidize the Swiss National Railways. But yes, it takes a will and some foresight .......... 

https://www.ch.ch/en/travel-and-emigrate/holidays-in-switzerland/motorway-vignette/ 

[Andycoops]

Obviously another Thai 4.0 system that emulates a 1.0 system, not exactly a surprise with the IT roll out failures here.

[rwill]

1 hour ago, Sydebolle said:

Saksayam Chidchob, another ignorant oligarch representative of the dinosaur elite.

He might want to study the Swiss system, in place for more than 40 years. The present fee is a flat CHF 40 (1,400 Baht) and covers all tollways anywhere in Switzerland for a full year. Sold through convenience stores, post offices or at the point of entry into Switzerland (immigration/customs), it is a small sticker (called "vignette") to be affixed on the wind screen. If you try to remove it, it is torn apart to avoid mischief use of the sticker. 

The system is explained here and would be very, very simple to apply with immediate effect. Needless to say, that the Swiss surplus earnings on the tollway stickers is used to subsidize the Swiss National Railways. But yes, it takes a will and some foresight .......... 

https://www.ch.ch/en/travel-and-emigrate/holidays-in-switzerland/motorway-vignette/ 

It can cost well over 100 baht to cross Bangkok depending on how you go.  Then you have the return trip too.  Say 20 days a month x 200 baht  over a year would be be close to 50K baht per year.  I think Thailand would price the annual pass way higher than what you quote for Switzerland.

[Sydebolle]

10 minutes ago, rwill said:

It can cost well over 100 baht to cross Bangkok depending on how you go.  Then you have the return trip too.  Say 20 days a month x 200 baht  over a year would be be close to 50K baht per year.  I think Thailand would price the annual pass way higher than what you quote for Switzerland.

Well, the pricing is one thing and Bangkok, coming from North and leaving South East, clocks 275 Baht back in the day. Of course it is too expensive which accounts for all those who prefer the jams on the free road grid compared to the payable highway/tollway network. 
But you could do away with all those barriers, counters, readers, M-Pass, Easy Pass and God-only-knows-what-kind-of-other gizmos and hence increase the profitability -OR- reduce the toll fees. 

The Swiss system generated 30 years ago a surplus of 200 million Swiss Francs per year, at a very competitive yearly rate. But it has to do with discipline and ferocious fines, if they catch you on a tollway WITHOUT the sticker - you're toasted nicely! 

[mikebell]

The headline needs correcting; there are insufficient Highlands in Thailand to warrant a whole Department.

[ubonjoe]

9 minutes ago, mikebell said:

The headline needs correcting; there are insufficient Highlands in Thailand to warrant a whole Department.

Fixed now.

[mikebell]

22 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

Fixed now.

I will sleep easier tonight; thank you.