Prayut postpones new road safety regulations

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Prayut postpones new road safety regulations

 

 

Prime Minister Prayut Chanocha has postponed the new regulations prohibiting passengers from riding in the cargo bed of pickup trucks and in the rear of extended pickups, until after Songkran, a senior police officer said on Wednesday.

 

Assistant Police Commissioner General, Pol Lt Gen Wittaya Prayongpan, said the postponement was to minimise the impact on the public. 

 

Police and related agencies will spend 15 days explaining the bans and the rules will be enforced and fines will be handed out after Songkran.

 

The new rule, which was to be officially enforced on Wednesday, was heavily criticised. It authorised police to impose fines ranging from Bt100 to Bt500 on violators. 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/national/30311436

 

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-04-05

 

==========================================================

UPDATE:

PM does U-turn as road safety rule postponed
By THE NATION

 

 

Prime Minister defers strict enforcement of rule until after the Songkran holidays.

 

BANGKOK: -- HOURS after the new strict road safety regulations were put in place under Article 44, the prime minister relaxed enforcement of a ban on travelling in the cargo bed of pickup trucks until after the Songkran break, although implementation of the seat belt rules began yesterday.

 

Police across the country began fining commuters and passengers between Bt100 to Bt500 for violating the new regulations as people prepared to travel to provinces to celebrate the holiday.

 

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha decided to delay the implementation because he did not want people to be troubled during the traditional New Year as people needed the vehicles to travel during the festival which would end on April 17, Assistant Police Commissioner General, Pol Lt-General Wittaya Prayongpan said.

 

The strict enforcement regarding travelling in the cargo bed of pickup trucks would return after the festival, he added.

 

The premier instructed police to use other measures to provide safety for commuters during Sonkran, he said. “We would enforce the traffic law strictly such as speed control and ban drunk drivers to ensure that people would travel safely.” 

 

The order issued under Article 44 of the interim charter last month bans passengers from riding in the cargo bed of pickup trucks and orders that all passengers travelling in a vehicle must wear a seat belt. Yesterday was to be the first day of enforcement. 

 

The new rules were widely criticised in Thai social media, as many disagreed with the strict enforcement which left them “too little time” to adjust their holiday travel plans to comply with the restrictions.

 

Thailand is one of a few places in the world where the pickup truck is used to carry everything from farm products to passengers in urban and rural areas. 

 

The most popular type of pickup truck in Thailand is the extended cab, where a few passengers can sit behind the driving seat, which has bench seats. However, there are no seat belts in the extended space, which is a contravention of the new regulations. 

 

Police in some provinces were seen yesterday strictly checking drivers and passengers to see if the seat-belt rule was being followed and imposing fines starting at Bt100. 

 

Nong Khai police served fines in 50 cases. Facebook user Araya Japakdee posted a traffic ticket issued in Maha Sarakham for misusing her truck by having passengers in the cargo bed.

 

In Bangkok, city police deputy chief Pol Maj-General Jirapat Phumjit admitted that in practice officers could not stop every car to check them, so fines would be served if violations were visible to officers. Jirapat said the fines would depend on the vehicle type and the period of their registration.

 

Vehicles registered under the Automobile Act – such as personal cars, pickup trucks and taxis – would face a fine of up to Bt500, while those under the Land Transport Act – such as public transport vans, inter-province buses and cargo trucks – would face a fine of up to Bt5,000 per head, he said. 

 

Down South, many Narathiwat residents took their old cars and pickup trucks to have seat belts repaired or installed and some garage owners, such as Saen Thongkhampong from SV Pradapyont shop in Sungai Kolok, waived the labour fee to lessen the burden on customers. A set of seat belts can cost between Bt380 and Bt550. 

 

A Ratchaburi native, identified only as Somsri, 46, said she disagreed with banning passengers from travelling on the cargo bed and the extended cab because that was how her family travelled everywhere, especially for Songkran. 

 

A Suphan Buri construction contractor identified only as Yod, 48, said the new rule affected him as he used a pickup truck to transport tools and workers around. 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/national/30311438

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-04-06

[Wilsonandson]

Scared of an uprising more like.

[CharlieH]

Like 100baht is going to deter anyone !!

 

Real consequences are needed with active continuous enforcement.

 

The fine should be 5000+ then they'll think twice.

[starky]

A last minute backflip. Who woulda thunk it?

[tuktuktuk]

It's still hilarious.  They'll enforce this about as strictly as every other traffic law. Nobody around here is worried and nobody intends to change how they travel.  They just know there's a new reason to be shook down for another 200 baht.  Bribes here are so institutionalized that there's an unwritten schedule of fees for every violation.  It's hard to imagine a cop in the US, the UK, the Netherlands, Australia, Germany accepting about 5 or 6 Euros in lieu of a ticket.

[Wilsonandson]

And ever so slowly the grip on power is weakening. There are certain things you don't mess with and the car is there near the top of the list. Bad mistake today was.

As a foreign observer on an expat forum. No bias meant. Just saying.

[Slaps]

 

 

.

Was never going to happen,

Not overnight anyway,

The Pick Up is the family limo,

Think some one had a word

 

 

.

Edited April 5, 2017 by Slaps

[wakeupplease]

Did I read and understand this UUUUUUUUUUU turn at the speed of light

 

No cannot be can it?

[PeVee1st]

And so we progress to the nearly 500 dead and nearly 4000 injured, along with the usual excuses. Welcome to Songkhran 2017!!!!

[PeVee1st]

A more sensible law would be that all persons in the pickup tray be seated and max.10 of all ages. Infants under 5 to be carried inside the pickup. Max.speed 80 kph.
No standing whilst the pickup is moving.

[darksidedog]

Laughable, in every aspect. It's a new law, no it isn't, Yes it is, but it's delayed, the fines will stop people, No they won't because they are laughable too.

This was a good opportunity to take a deep cut in to the annual Songkran death toll. When it's over, we can total up how many lives this decision has cost.

And if they are serious about stopping this, the fines (if and when the cops ever bother to enforce them), need to be a minimum of ten times higher.

[Slaps]

 

 

.

20 minutes ago, PeVee1st said:

A more sensible law would be that all persons in the pickup tray be seated and max.10 of all ages. Infants under 5 to be carried inside the pickup. Max.speed 80 kph.
No standing whilst the pickup is moving.

 

 

.

Behave,

Far too complicated 

 

Tomorrow Toyota, Isuzu, etc, 25% down on sales

 

.

Edited April 5, 2017 by Slaps

[quadperfect]

Hold on.

Is this another april fools.

[Bangna Betty]

The usual launching of a new idea without much thought and the usual quick retraction after the deafening howls of rage. Happens all the time. 

[mfd101]

The obvious question (which noone on either side of the argument seems to address ) is: So what are the alternatives for the 20%? 50%? whatever large proportion of poor workers who travel to & from work each day in the back of pickup trucks? Most of them have no other means of transport, at least for that purpose, and their employers are often not prepared or able to offer a safer alternative such as small buses [not driven by maniacs].

 

So does the government have any suggestions? (eg public transport subsidized for worker transport in rural areas; pooled resources between major employers - not that there's many of he latter in many poor agricultural parts) ...

 

The point is: If there are to be improvements in ANY area of national life - corruption, education, road safety and on & on - there have to be practical alternatives on offer. Otherwise the moralizers are just wanking as usual.

[fruitman]

1 hour ago, CharlieH said:

Like 100baht is going to deter anyone !!

 

Real consequences are needed with active continuous enforcement.

 

The fine should be 5000+ then they'll think twice.

They only hurt themselves in case of accidents...

 

I really hate driving against traffic, cutting people off (minivans), pushing themselves on the road (instead of waiting), not using indicators, no working lights, slalomming, very slow driving, parking on busy roads, very loud mufflers etc....this causes many accidents and frustration.

[ib1b4]

SO all the fines that have handed out over the past days will be refunded. YES ?

[BigBadGeordie]

Nothing new here, it has been Law....but never enforced since 1979.

 

 

Land Traffic Act, B.E. 2522 (1979)
Translation
 BHUMIBOL ADULYADEJ, REX. 
Given on the 15th Day of March, B.E. 2522; 
Being the 34th Year of the Present Reign 
His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej has been graciously pleased to proclaim that: 
Whereas it is expedient to have a law on land transportation; 
Be it, therefore, enacted by the King, by and with the advice and consent of the National 
Legislative Assembly acting as the National Assembly, as follows:.........

 

Please see relevant section.

Edited April 5, 2017 by BigBadGeordie
Typo

[jollyhangmon]

1 hour ago, starky said:

A last minute backflip. Who woulda thunk it?

 ... here's what worgeordie said in the first topic about this matter:

 

>Can see another U-turn coming,

regards worgeordie<

 

https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/977037-public-backlash-as-thais-slam-new-pick-up-passenger-rules

 

... yeah, that lot sure is big in all kinds of 180's aka U-turns ... 

 

Edited April 5, 2017 by jollyhangmon

[SiamBeast]

"Postponed" is a word used to avoid loss of face. Better than saying "canceled due to realizing that it was stupid".

[colinneil]

How many members who slated me for my comment on this are shouting now? NONE.

Stupid ill thought out scheme that was never going to work, now a big loss of face.

[jollyhangmon]

37 minutes ago, fruitman said:

They only hurt themselves in case of accidents...

 

I really hate driving against traffic, cutting people off (minivans), pushing themselves on the road (instead of waiting), not using indicators, no working lights, slalomming, very slow driving, parking on busy roads, very loud mufflers etc....this causes many accidents and frustration.

You're absolutely right & i (and many others) fully agree!

But it was glass-clear it wouldn't work out the way they 'implemented' it ...

 

As for pickup-transport ... it's certainly horrible:

 

 

[Sphere]

2 hours ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

....the postponement was to minimise the impact on the public...

 

Because, after Songkran the population of Thailand will be just that little bit smaller, so new road regulations will affect less people. 

 

[NCC1701A]

 

[SABloke]

2 hours ago, PeVee1st said:

A more sensible law would be that all persons in the pickup tray be seated and max.10 of all ages. Infants under 5 to be carried inside the pickup. Max.speed 80 kph.
No standing whilst the pickup is moving.

Why would this be a more sensible law? An infant would fly straight through the windscreen or into the front seat at even a paltry 30kph. I'm just curious about why you think YOUR suggestion is more sensible than the suggested "don't let people drive in private cars without seatbelts" BTW I know the BIB wouldn't enforce it anyway and it's not a public secret that I like the BIB slightly more than AIDS, but you were speaking to the essence of the law.  So...?

[smedly]

lets see ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,carnage on the roads in Thailand probably the worst in the world

 

 

many attempts made by very obviously uneducated/unprofessional people to rectify the problem over the last decades and getting nowhere - in fact it is getting worse

 

 

 

When is Thailand and the authorities here going to realise that there are experts outside Thailand that can come and sort this out, just as Thailand relies on outside expertise for everything else (yes we all know) why not for road safety ???????????????

 

 

and NO - you very obviously don't have the skills to do it on your own.................yes you have the skills to buy submarines from China, how on earth you think that is money well spent is beyond me, is there a Thai word for "priorities"  again I call you out - Prauth Chan (O) Cha, this is pretty simple stuff.............you are running the country - start getting your priorities right ........... at the moment they are drifting verging on stupidity

 

make a difference please, your country needs you 

[billy54]

No populist vote there then ,  the news on this is just like all the other that you read ,"is it true , is it real ,or maybe to deflect attention from something else that's going on ,  think i'll just go out on the farm for a few day's , and it will seem it never happened in the first place , happy days ,

 

Edited April 5, 2017 by billy54

[onthesoi]

I'll just leave this here for those knee jerking at the headline:

 

Police and related agencies will spend 15 days explaining the bans and the rules will be enforced and fines will be handed out after Songkran.

[anon4546543]

Most people just don't get it. Most Thais are poor. Most do not own a vehicle. The mostly foreign workers work a barely subsistence wage. They need to get to work by the cheapest possible way. Really good safety rules work in really good western societies. Thailand is not there yet. The economy would collapse if workers, housewives, students and so on could not get about cheaply. Just think about it before you post constant derogatory insults about the country that has welcomed you into. If you are a foreign poster - stick your nose in your own countries trough. 

[akirasan]

Where's it going to be enforced?  Bangkok?  I can't see the cops doing anything about it out in the sticks, same as they don't do anything else about people running red lights, motorcyclists not wearing helmets, people driving around at night with no lights etc..