A centre will be opened on Monday to integrate the work of directing traffic in Bangkok and the surrounding provinces.
The centre will unify traffic operations currently delegated to various agencies such as the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), the Highways Department, the Expressway Authority of Thailand, the Department of Land Transport and the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority.
Pol Lt Gen Kraiboon Suadsong, commissioner of the Police Strategy Office, said the centre will be headed by assistant national police chief Pol Lt Gen Natthorn Prohsunthorn with Pol Maj Gen Jirapat Phumjit, deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, as the centre deputy chief.
Deputy chiefs of the police force in the provinces surrounding Bangkok will also be helping manage the centre.
Pol Lt Gen Kraiboon said the centre will constantly monitor and assess the traffic conditions and immediately intervene when a critical traffic problem occurs.
He gave his assurance that even though the centre is made up of representatives of many agencies, there will be no conflicts between them.
The various agencies have worked together before, but there was never a single centre with the power to collaborate in large-scale management of traffic, he said.
Pol Lt Gen Kraiboon added the centre will target several routes in busy areas.
The routes in question are the Sam Sen, Sathorn, Silom, Sukhumvit and Phetchaburi roads as well as the traffic areas adjacent to these roads.
Pol Lt Gen Kraiboon added that builders of electric train projects currently occupying parts of the main roads in Bangkok will be asked to scale back the space they have cordoned off for construction so there will be more space for vehicles.
Pol Maj Gen Ekkarat Limsangkat, commander of the Special Police Branch's division 3, said the Land Traffic Act is in the process of being amended to make the demerit point system one of the criteria for renewing a driver's licence.
The draft amendment, now being vetted by the Council of State, will be put up for a public hearing later before it is tabled to the National Legislative Assembly.
