Transport agency seeks action against graft on highways
The Northeast region's Transporting Truck Association revealed yesterday monthly "highway sticker bribes" of Bt3,000 to Bt4,000 were paid for up to 30 per cent of the cargo trucks.
Meanwhile, the police told the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) commander to investigate allegations that highway police officers are taking bribes and report back in seven days.
The association president Kwanchai Tiyawanit said the issue of highway police taking bribes from transport companies that wanted to load their trucks beyond the legal limit had emerged over the past two to three years especially in 19 Northeast provinces. It is estimated that such bribes were paid for about 30 per cent or 4,000 to 5,000 of these trucks, he said. He added that this issue was under control during Thaksin Shinawatra's time because of the serious action taken against officials involved. Now, the roads are being damaged and could cost the government about Bt10 billion per year in repairs, he said, adding that it would also encourage the smuggling of illegal items.
Kwanchai said the government should seriously crackdown on this problem before it affected everybody in the business and, in the long term, update laws so they are more in line with current conditions. He said that they would give the authorities seven days to declare a clear policy on the issue or they would mobilise at least 100 trucks in protest.
Meanwhile, assistant national police chief Pol LtGeneral Danaithorn Wongthai said that after 100 or so trucks had been parked in protest outside the Highway Police Command on Wednesday, the police issued an order for the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) commander to investigate and report back in seven days.
