Thailand strengthens road safety measures for New Year celebration
Thai authorities are ramping up road safety campaigns and inter-agency cooperation to curb road accidents during the New Year.
People fill waiting areas for interprovincial buses at Bangkok's main bus terminal, Morchit 2, on December 27, the first official day of the New Year holiday. (Photo: bangkokpost.com)
Bangkok (VNA) – Thai authorities are ramping up road safety campaigns and inter-agency cooperation to curb road accidents during the New Year.
⛎ Deputy Prime Minister and Digital Economy and Society Minister Prasert Jantararuangtong, who is also President of the Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) which wages various state-run campaigns to reduce trac accidents, emphasised the urgent need for stricter measures to prevent road accidents during the upcoming holiday.
He said that during the New Year holidays from 2022 to 2024, Thailand recorded a combined 7,435 road accidents, resulting in 7,416 injuries and 934 fatalities.
Prasert said reducing accidents is critical to achieving the Road Safety Master Plan 2022–2027, which aims to limit road fatalities to 12 per 100,000 people.
ThaiHealth is looking to work with various agencies to implement robust accident-prevention campaigns and also called for stricter enforcement of the law prohibiting alcohol sales to young people aged under 20.
Prasert has told the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society and agencies under its supervision, including Thailand Post and CAT Telecom, to develop an online trac ticket tracking system linked to the police and the Department of Land Transport, as part of measures to beef up law enforcement.
He said such integration will improve law enforcement against oenders within six months.
Meanwhile, ThaiHealth Manager Pongthep Wongwatcharapaiboon outlined plans for the New Year, including a nationwide media campaign in partnership with road safety agencies.
He called on the public to report reckless drivers via social media platforms to aid enforcement forces./.
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