Two tragic deaths in Bangkok due to stolen manhole covers have led to the city's authorities holding an emergency meeting. The meeting, called by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), involved different departments including Public Works, Drainage, Traffic, Transportation and the Metropolitan Waterworks Authority. It aimed to devise strategies to avoid more thefts and improve pedestrian safety.

 

An elderly man fell into a 15-meter-deep manhole and died in Bangkok's Lat Phrao district, triggering widespread public concern. The Metropolitan Electricity Authority had overseen the replacement of the stolen iron cover with plywood. The man lost his footing and fell in when he stepped on this makeshift cover.

 

In another accident in the Thon Buri region, a motorcyclist died after falling into an exposed drainage system. The lid had been taken away, leaving it unguarded.

 

As a response to these incidents, the BMA underscored the importance of safety measures for manhole covers. They've asked officials to conduct thorough inspections and report any issues, which they insist on fixing within 24 hours.

 

To handle public complaints more efficiently, the BMA wants to coordinate different agencies. They also plan to develop an app that collect public responses once resolved. They might consider a lock system for manhole covers or a change in material and might also employ artificial intelligence for real-time updates on the covers’ status.

 

The BMA instructed the set up of warning signs near each manhole under construction. Satit Pongsathonwiboon of the Metropolitan Electricity Authority revealed plans to exchange iron covers with extremely durable concrete, mainly in theft-prone areas.

 

File photo for reference only. Courtesy of Google

 

-- 2024-05-08

Get our Daily Newsletter - Click HERE to subscribe

They're coins for giants.

Make the purchase of manhole covers by scrap merchants illegal. If you can't sell them it is no good stealing them

 

Couple of years back when they built new storm drains along the roads, they going around at night steeling the steel grids dangerous along a main road, the police should be paying all these scrap yards a visit, forget that

55 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

Make the purchase of manhole covers by scrap merchants illegal. If you can't sell them it is no good stealing them

 

 

Effectively it already is. The manhole cover would almost certainly show where it was from and any merchant with even half a brain would know that it was stolen. It's the same with cell phones. Really simple to tell if the phone belongs to the seller or not, but that doesn't stop it being easy to sell stolen ones. I don't know the specific law here, but buying known stolen goods is illegal in many places.

 

The person stealing a manhole cover should be held responsible for all accidents related to it, on top of the theft. If someone falls down the sewer and dies, it's manslaughter.

Maybe we should be politically correct and call them personholes with pronouns it/that?😉

 

BTW I identify as a TRANSparent with pronouns of who/where.

15 hours ago, VocalNeal said:

Make the purchase of manhole covers by scrap merchants illegal. If you can't sell them it is no good stealing them

 

Yeah... illegal really works in Thailand.

make them a plastic material

Spot Weld them shut, they dont get opened,  very much anyway

3 hours ago, Dazinoz said:

Maybe we should be politically correct and call them personholes with pronouns it/that?😉

 

BTW I identify as a TRANSparent with pronouns of who/where.

Maybe you should take a nap

6 minutes ago, charleskerins said:

Maybe you should take a nap

maybe you need to get a sense of humour.