Minister focuses on addressing the issue of overloaded trucks and bribery

[snoop1130]

 

Thailand's transport ministry has pledged to strengthen measures against overweight trucks and aims to eliminate corruption related to highway usage to enhance road safety. The transport minister ordered the Department of Highways (DoH) and Department of Rural Roads (DRR) to use newer technology to detect and punish those violating vehicle weight restrictions.

 

Overweight trucks cause significant road damage and accidents. Therefore, Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit proposed the use of a 3D measurement system, in conjunction with existing weight-in-motion (WIM) technology and license plate recognition (LPR) cameras. The DoH set up WIM and LPR systems at 192 places and is currently expanding this into 16 more locations, with plans to cover an additional 752 areas.

 

When all 960 locations are equipped with WIM and LPR technology, they will form a network for detecting overweight vehicles all over the nation. Efforts in reducing overweight trucks have yielded positive outcomes, with fewer drivers caught. From October 1, 2023, to June 19 this year, there were 2,107 cases recorded, which is a drop from 2,659 cases in the same period last year.

 

 

Suriya emphasized the importance of eliminating corruption related to overweight trucks on highways. He said, "As long as I am the transport minister, there should be no highway bribery and the number of new overweight vehicle cases should decline."

 

The DoH and DRR have identified ten provinces namely Ayutthaya, Nakhon Ratchasima, Khon Kaen, Chon Buri, Bangkok, Samut Prakan, Nakhon Sawan, Ubon Ratchathani, Saraburi, and Chachoengsao, where these rules are breached mainly. Apart from checking at highway weighing stations, the DoH and DRR increased random spot checks using mobile truck weighing equipment, aiming to catch culprits who might otherwise slip past fixed checkpoints.

 

The minister's dedication to this issue shows a broader strategy to increase road safety and integrity. By using advanced technology and maintaining strict rules, the government aims to reduce the negative effects of overweight vehicles on Thailand's infrastructure and ensure safer travel for everyone.

 

File photo for reference only

 

-- 2024-06-28

 

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[ikke1959]

Will not happen see overloaded trucks, cars every day on Phetkasem road to the South

[kimamey]

13 minutes ago, ikke1959 said:

Will not happen see overloaded trucks, cars every day on Phetkasem road to the South

You don't need expensive equipment either.

[MartinBangkok]

Promising to get rid of corruption from Thai highway-officials and police? Yeah, good one. 🤣

[Artisi]

That's not overloaded, just needs a bit of weight distribution. 

[2baht]

5 minutes ago, Artisi said:

That's not overloaded, just needs a bit of weight distribution. 

Two more boxes to the front and he'd have no problem! 

[hotchilli]

15 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Thailand's transport ministry has pledged to strengthen measures against overweight trucks and aims to eliminate corruption related to highway usage to enhance road safety. The transport minister ordered the Department of Highways (DoH) and Department of Rural Roads (DRR) to use newer technology to detect and punish those violating vehicle weight restrictions

 

15 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Efforts in reducing overweight trucks have yielded positive outcomes, with fewer drivers caught. From October 1, 2023, to June 19 this year, there were 2,107 cases recorded, which is a drop from 2,659 cases in the same period last year.

Road-side fines are not recorded... they are pocketed.

These statistics are meaningless.

[hotchilli]

13 minutes ago, Artisi said:

That's not overloaded, just needs a bit of weight distribution. 

3 illegals up front?

[Gsxrnz]

You don't see many 3 tonne trucks in Thailand.

 

A motorcycle sidecar (Saleng) can carry at least a tonne, and a Hilux or similar can carry 3+ tonnes depending on cubic/weight ratio of the load - and how many additional spring leaves, torsion bars, and diagonal dampers they've retrofitted. 

 

Funniest thing I've seen is schoolkids hanging purposely off the back of an overcrowded songtaow to facilitate wheelies on Suk Road.

 

Expediency: the quality of being convenient and practical despite possibly being improper or immoral. 

[Peterphuket]

1 hour ago, 2baht said:

Two more boxes to the front and he'd have no problem! 

Or, instead of a skinny driver and co-driver a fat driver and his wife visiting KFC daily.
That keeps things balanced.

[newbee2022]

17 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

 

Thailand's transport ministry has pledged to strengthen measures against overweight trucks and aims to eliminate corruption related to highway usage to enhance road safety. The transport minister ordered the Department of Highways (DoH) and Department of Rural Roads (DRR) to use newer technology to detect and punish those violating vehicle weight restrictions.

 

Overweight trucks cause significant road damage and accidents. Therefore, Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit proposed the use of a 3D measurement system, in conjunction with existing weight-in-motion (WIM) technology and license plate recognition (LPR) cameras. The DoH set up WIM and LPR systems at 192 places and is currently expanding this into 16 more locations, with plans to cover an additional 752 areas.

 

When all 960 locations are equipped with WIM and LPR technology, they will form a network for detecting overweight vehicles all over the nation. Efforts in reducing overweight trucks have yielded positive outcomes, with fewer drivers caught. From October 1, 2023, to June 19 this year, there were 2,107 cases recorded, which is a drop from 2,659 cases in the same period last year.

 

 

 

Suriya emphasized the importance of eliminating corruption related to overweight trucks on highways. He said, "As long as I am the transport minister, there should be no highway bribery and the number of new overweight vehicle cases should decline."

 

The DoH and DRR have identified ten provinces namely Ayutthaya, Nakhon Ratchasima, Khon Kaen, Chon Buri, Bangkok, Samut Prakan, Nakhon Sawan, Ubon Ratchathani, Saraburi, and Chachoengsao, where these rules are breached mainly. Apart from checking at highway weighing stations, the DoH and DRR increased random spot checks using mobile truck weighing equipment, aiming to catch culprits who might otherwise slip past fixed checkpoints.

 

The minister's dedication to this issue shows a broader strategy to increase road safety and integrity. By using advanced technology and maintaining strict rules, the government aims to reduce the negative effects of overweight vehicles on Thailand's infrastructure and ensure safer travel for everyone.

 

File photo for reference only

 

-- 2024-06-28

 

Get our Daily Newsletter - Click HERE to subscribe

Good luck😂

[herfiehandbag]

The road into Chiang Rai from where I live runs along the top of the levée, in fact there are parallel roads on both sides of the river. Both have fairly stringent weight restrictions.

 

It forms a shortcut for traffic from Phaya Mengrai and beyond heading up towards Mae Sai. The weight restrictions are completely ignored.

 

The roads are regularly resurfaced (every couple of years) only to be smashed up by overladen trucks traveling at speed.

 

They deployed some sort of mat gadget to weigh trucks - chaos, dozens of trucks trying to turn around in the road. Only did so a couple of times.

 

Overloading, speeding and reckless driving by these trucks is endemic.

 

Add the restricted visibility from those lateral curtains, impenetrably tinted windows and legions of Michelin Men bolted on the front and they are lethal.

Edited yesterday at 01:34 AM by herfiehandbag

[parallelman]

Give credit where it's due...at least the packages were secured...😀

[Almer]

2 hours ago, herfiehandbag said:

The road into Chiang Rai from where I live runs along the top of the levée, in fact there are parallel roads on both sides of the river. Both have fairly stringent weight restrictions.

 

It forms a shortcut for traffic from Phaya Mengrai and beyond heading up towards Mae Sai. The weight restrictions are completely ignored.

 

The roads are regularly resurfaced (every couple of years) only to be smashed up by overladen trucks traveling at speed.

 

They deployed some sort of mat gadget to weigh trucks - chaos, dozens of trucks trying to turn around in the road. Only did so a couple of times.

 

Overloading, speeding and reckless driving by these trucks is endemic.

 

Add the restricted visibility from those lateral curtains, impenetrably tinted windows and legions of Michelin Men bolted on the front and they are lethal.

There was a police check some weeks ago on the Khonkaen bypass, there must of been 50 trucks parked on the side of the road short of the check point, no food stall just waiting for the police to go before they proceed, only a suggestion on my part but a police car at the back and work they way down the Q I guess they all got a reason to stop before the police line, no joined up thinking and lorry drivers don't carry to much cash on them. 

[Almer]

12 hours ago, kimamey said:

You don't need expensive equipment either.

You need a new dept called Highway Police 2,

[Almer]

What I fail to understand is, that many call the police dept a franchise to make money but they don't bother, jf I was that way inclined could make  fortune every day, easy money. 

[Aussie999]

10 hours ago, Gsxrnz said:

You don't see many 3 tonne trucks in Thailand.

 

A motorcycle sidecar (Saleng) can carry at least a tonne, and a Hilux or similar can carry 3+ tonnes depending on cubic/weight ratio of the load - and how many additional spring leaves, torsion bars, and diagonal dampers they've retrofitted. 

 

Funniest thing I've seen is schoolkids hanging purposely off the back of an overcrowded songtaow to facilitate wheelies on Suk Road.

 

Expediency: the quality of being convenient and practical despite possibly being improper or immoral. 

I think Toyota says load is 430kgs, or close to it.. we see many carrying 3-4 tonnes