Bangkok:- An assistant police chief Thursday sent an urgent order to the Metropolitan Police Bureau and all provincial police bureaus to step up safety measures for cyclists following a spate of fatal road accidents.

Assistant Police Commissioner General Pol Lt Gen Prawut Thawornsiri told all police bureaus to carry out four immediate measures to ensure safety of cyclists.

First, the bureaus must hold meetings with clubs of bikers in their jurisdiction areas to listen to the problems and opinions of the local cyclists and to designate safe bike routes for them.

Second, the police must seek cooperation from the cyclists to install all safety gears. Police will have to ensure that their bicycles are equipped with reflective gears and lamps, for example.

The police bureaus must dispatch some officers to advise the bikers and direct their ride to ensure safety as necessary.

The police bureaus must coordinate with government agencies concerned with bike routes to improve the routes and make them safer for bike riding.

Prawut also ordered the police bureaus to report the progress of the measures to him by My 18 and the police spokesman must inform the cyclist clubs of the progress.

Also on Thursday, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha expressed concern for the safety of cyclists during the weekly Cabinet meeting, Deputy Government Spokesman Maj Gen Sansern Kaewkamnerd said.

Prayut also told the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, the Interior Ministry and the Transport Ministry to build barriers to protect bike lanes to ensure safety of cyclists.

Four cyclists were killed and five injured in three road crashes this week.

I assume those new laws are enforced as strictly as any other traffic law.

Brainless morons ( police ) are incapable themselves of driving/riding safely so any contribution they may make to cyclists would be the equivalent of asking Steven Hawking to listen to an Amoeba.

this stinks of blame it on the victims rather than the true culprits.. drunk/irresponsible punks driving dangerously

Brainless morons ( police ) are incapable themselves of driving/riding safely so any contribution they may make to cyclists would be the equivalent of asking Steven Hawking to listen to an Amoeba.

haha true. the nearest miss i've had is 2 traffic police cars pulling straight out in front of me while i had right of way on a major road

Expect one of the "NEW MEASURES" to be to enforce a ban on bicycles on the sidewalks and all the footpaths in the Kingdom.

We all know those footpaths belong to the motorcycles. There ! Thainess in motion.

Expect one of the "NEW MEASURES" to be to enforce a ban on bicycles on the sidewalks and all the footpaths in the Kingdom.

We all know those footpaths belong to the motorcycles. There ! Thainess in motion.

This goes without saying

Footpaths and sidewalks are for mopeds not bikes

Ok, small steps in one area of focus. But not likely to have a lasting impact.

Education. Infrastructure improvements. Police training. Enforcement. Media campaigns. For 5 to 10 years. That might make a difference, for all users of the roads.

'build barriers to protect cyclists' What? 100.000 miles of dividing barrier. And any user will not be able to escape into the road when some moron on a motorbike comes down the lane in the wrong direction. Not even half a brain cell went into making that comment. Why not build a roof over Bangkok to protect people from the rain too?

Police, just enforce the laws! Officials, shut up. PM, get army to compel police to enforce law.

"Police will have to ensure that their bicycles are equipped with reflective gears and lamps..."

More importantly, how about the police help to ensure auto drivers obey the laws. The group of cyclists recently killed in Chaing Mai were part of a larger bicycle rally which rode through my neighborhood just the previous day. All were good, respectful riders, all with the right protective gear and a bunch of really nice people. Not only should that driver be severly punished but the club owner and/or home owner she left deserves some time.

Sadly in Thailand both bicycalists and pedestrians are steerage class. It seems many Thais with a car, as well as a few farangs who left their basic respect for their fellow man and commnon sense back home, think they along own the road. Get out of my way - high beam, high beam.

If Thailand didnt have the worst policeforce on the planet many trafficproblems (killings) could be solved but TIT so nothing will change ever

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Brainless morons ( police ) are incapable themselves of driving/riding safely so any contribution they may make to cyclists would be the equivalent of asking Steven Hawking to listen to an Amoeba.

haha true. the nearest miss i've had is 2 traffic police cars pulling straight out in front of me while i had right of way on a major road

Those idiots drive with reckless abandonment, knowing full well if anyone challenges them it will be the challenger's loss.

If Thailand didnt have the worst policeforce on the planet many trafficproblems (killings) could be solved but TIT so nothing will change ever

I don't know where the RTP place, as far as being the "worst".

One can read this and decide for themselves. They have plenty of competition with neighboring countries.

http://www.business-anti-corruption.com/country-profiles/east-asia-the-pacific/thailand/corruption-levels/police.aspx

Why do so many Thais drive those God-awful trucks . Millions of the wretched things in Bangkok and rarely see much in the back. Seems to be a status thing but they are quite scary ( and unnecessary)

PRbkk good observation. The four wd turbo diesels are the new BMW series for status conscious kon Thai.

They cost in excess of 750k baht and are purchased on a whim. I know of one Thai lady that got a slight ding in her car---she ditched it and bought a Toyota Vigo for 850k baht the next day.

Do NOT get in their way!

Why do so many Thais drive those God-awful trucks . Millions of the wretched things in Bangkok and rarely see much in the back. Seems to be a status thing but they are quite scary ( and unnecessary)

You must drive one of those unnecessary god-awful cars then. What individuals drive is a personal choice and not up to you, neither is it your business to pontificate on whether they should carry loads in the back. Is your car's boot full all the time?

How do you enforce laws to protect cyclists if all you can do is set up road blocks. Think about it.

Until they put cops in cars that patrol the roads and issue citations (citations that are hefty enough to be a deterrant), ain't nothing gonna change.