BANGKOK - Dummy police officers dubbed Ja Choey, or Sgt Still, now have two special cameras installed with them in an effort to deter motorists from breaking traffic laws and reduce road accidents.
Pol Maj Gen Vorasak Nopsittiporn, deputy chief of the Metropolitan Police Bureau (MPB), said on Tuesday that each mannequin will be equipped with a camera that has a face detection system and a closed-circuit television camera for monitoring traffic conditions. Special measures are in place to prevent the cameras from being stolen.
He said the camera with a face detection system, held by Ja Choey, is able to capture faces of motorists and licence plates of vehicles. The second camera, set up next to the dummy at knee level, can immediately capture illegal lane changes.
The captured images are sent to the traffic control system, using Wi-Fi technology, he said.
"The cameras are now installed in ten of the dummies so far and they will be placed at areas where road accidents frequently occur, such as Ratchayothin intersection and in front of The Mall Bangkapi," Pol Maj Gen Vorasak said.
The project is run by the MPB and the National Electronics and Computer Technology Centre (Nectec).
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Meanwhile, a group of motorcycle taxi drivers on Tuesday gathered outside the Pheu Thai Party headquarters to demand the government take action against influential figures who intervene in their work.
The Motorcycle Taxi Drivers Association (AMTD) called up more than 1,000 of its members from many districts across Bangkok to hold a rally in front of the ruling party's head office on Phetchaburi road, causing severe traffic congestion in the area.
They later moved the gathering to the area behind the head office after requested by police.
Pin Prateung, the secretary-general of the association, said they wanted the government to step in and regulate motorcycle taxi operations in the capital as it had been done during the Thaksin Shinawatra administration.
Many legitimate motorcycle queues are now being intimidated into giving up their routes to unregistered drivers, said Mr Pin.
On many occasions, confrontations between different groups turned violent. Law enforcement authorities often turned a blind eye to these incidents as some operators are backed by local influential figures, sometimes state officials themselves.
To address the problem, AMTD wants the authorities to issue them with yellow licence plates, similar to those found on public vans and taxis, and form an agency to oversee motorcycle queues in Bangkok.
AMTD president Chalerm Changthongmadan has submitted a letter to Transport Minister Jarupong Ruangsuwan, who is also the Pheu Thai Party leader, demanding the government take the following actions: to regulate the registration of new motorcycle taxis, to prevent powerful figures from extorting them or setting up unauthorised queues in their areas, to form a regulatory body represented by drivers, allow the motorcycle taxis to register directly with the Department of Land Transportation instead of with district offices and to establish a complaint and training centre to fully benefit the public.