A civic group is urging police to scrap their controversial road checkpoints and stop giving traffic cops part of the money from the tickets they write.
Atchariya Ruangratanapong and members of the Help Crime Victims Club he heads submitted a petition with 30,000 names to national police chief Chakthip Chaijinda calling for the end of traffic stops they claim are set up by officers to enrich themselves.
He said there are no standards governing the checkpoints and that giving officers 60% of the fines they levy encourages them to stop traffic wherever and whenever they want. The balance of the fine goes to the state.
In the petition received by police spokesman Prawut Thavornsiri, Mr Atchariya alleged that police also employed double standards in collecting traffic fines. Officers mostly targeted people who lived hand-to-mouth while never stopping wealthier drivers of luxury cars, he charged.
Mr Atchariya suggested authorities increase cost-of-living allowances for traffic cops to compensate them for the health impacts of working at checkpoints and offset the money they would lose by ending them.
Members of the Help Crime Victims Club are calling on police authorities to scrap mobile checkpoints which they say are illegally set up to allow traffic officers to collect fine money from motorists. (Photo by Apichart Jinakul)
His group has given the national police chief 30 days to respond, he said. If he doesn't, more people will be mobilised to air their views, he said.
Combatting congestion
Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Police Bureau has asked officers to strictly enforce traffic laws to tackle congestion in Bangkok.
MPB deputy chief Adul Narongsak, who oversees traffic affairs, on Friday called a meeting with traffic officers to lay out policies on traffic management.
Pol Maj Gen Adul said strict law enforcement must be used at all congested roads in Bangkok. Measures to put wheel clamps and tow illegally parked would also be re-introduced, he added.
Before the measures were introduced, a public relations campaign would be launched to inform drivers, he said.
As for checkpoints, Maj Gen Adul said a deputy police superintendent must oversee each checkpoint due to complaints that officers were taking cash directly from motorists.