The Department of Land Transport has warned public transport drivers not to overcharge passengers during Songkran, or risk having their licences suspended and being fined up to 5,000 baht.
Peraphon Thawornsupacharoen, director-general of the department, said staff have been deployed to public transport stations to inspect cases of overcharging by drivers of passenger vans, tour buses and motorcycle taxis, and taxis. The move was in response to burgeoning complaints of overcharging which usually surface during festivals.
As an initial penalty, he said, offenders must pay a fine of up to 5,000 baht and have their licence suspended. "Those found to have committed serious offences or repeated same offences will have their licences revoked," Mr Peraphon said.
Meanwhile, the government's Road Safety Directing Centre said yesterday there were 969 traffic accidents on Thursday and Friday in which 103 people were killed and 1,003 people injured. Drink-driving was the most common cause of the accidents, resulting in 34.8% of the total, followed by speeding (28.4%) and cut-ins (18.2%). Motorcycles were involved in 78.5% of all traffic accidents.
Law enforcers have since Friday confiscated 991 vehicles related to drunk-driving cases, according to Col Sirichan Ngathong, a deputy spokesman for the NCPO. Among the confiscated vehicles, 712 were motorcycles and the rest sedans.
Police have confiscated 5,229 licences and logged 22,184 offences related to traffic law violations. Nakhon Si Thammarat province recorded the highest number of accidents, followed by Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai provinces.
