Maximum safety measures set during Thailand's Songkran Festival 2018

BANGKOK, April 4 (TNA) - The Thai government, through the Ministry of Transport, has announced maximum safety measures, aimed to reduce nationwide accidents from all systems of public transport during the Songkran Festival 2018. Vice Minister for Transport Teerapong Rodprasert on Wednesday presided over a ceremony to launch an official campaign for the upcoming Songkran Festival, in which the maximum safety measures are included and implemented by all relevant agencies in an integrated aspect. The vice minister said that for land transport alone, his ministry's Department of Land Transport, Department of Highways and Department of Rural Roads are working together under the "One Transport" Policy, under which adhoc-centers are set up on 77 routes nationwide to facilitate and reduce road accidents by 50 per cent year-on-year through the maximum safety measures. Acoording to the Ministry of Transport, the maximum safety measures include a total ban on alcohol and drugs for drivers of all public land transport systems during this year's Songkran Festival, with violators to be legally punished at the maximum extent, including a highest fine and the suspension of their drivers' licenses and public land transport operation licenses for their employers. Besides, drivers are required to drive within legal speed limits during day and night times, while all public buses and cars are to be thoroughly checked to ensure their proper funcions and services at more than 200 terminals and checkpoints across the country based on the 7x7x7 safety benchmark, or seven days before the Songkran Festival (April 4-11), seven days during the Songkran Festival (April 11-17) and seven days after the Songkran Festival (April 18-24). Roadside checkpoints are also set up in 16 focal provinces nationwide to inspect the readiness of both vehicles and drivers, together with the opening of 24-hour functional driving speed detecting units equipped with the online real-time GPS tracking system to monitor road traffic nationwide, as well as the setting up of roadside rest points for motorists to stop over during their long-distance trips. Thai Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith estimated, meanwhile, that there should be about 18.91 million people using all public transport systems in the country during this year's Songkran Festival. The minister told journalists that the Thai government has set a target on reducing accidents from all the country's public transport systems during the Songkran Festival 2018 by 7 per cent year-on-year. The minister announced that there will be a free-ride service for people travelling by public buses and electric trains under the Airport Rail Link system in Bangkok on April 13, while the elderly aged 60 years old and olders are offered free rides if travelling by the city's skytrain and underground train systems during April 13-15 and there will be no fees imposed on motorists travelling through the Motorway system No. 7 and No.9 from 00.01am on April 11 to 12pm on April 18. The minister stated that he has also suggested that sufficient public transport services and personnel be prepared to serve Songkran travellers with no people stranded at bus, train and airport terminals, and that no fatalities from all public transport systems be slated during this year's Songkran Festival. (TNA)