New traffic command centre set up

Pol Lt-General Ruangsak Jarit-ek, an assistant police commissioner-general, said this command centre was one of the five measures outlined to deal with road blockades caused by protesters.
He said the new centre would coordinate with 88 police stations in Bangkok to monitor the closing and opening of roads as well as enforce parking bans on key thoroughfares.
Another measure would be to get each of the 88 police stations to set up fast-deployment teams to take over if there are traffic emergencies. The Traffic Police headquarters will also prepare 10 such teams. Traffic Police will also make changes to operations as per the situation.
Signs will also be put up informing motorists of the situation, and more lines will be added to the traffic 1197 hotline, bringing the number up to 60.
Ruangsak said police officers would also try and negotiate with protesters to make allowances for motorists.
Traffic Police commander Pol Maj-General Jirasan Kaewsaeng-ek said the situation was still under control because most Bangkokians kept up with the news and managed to avoid protest areas.
The Traffic Police announced yesterday that the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority had changed the routes of 20 city buses to avoid parts of Rajdamnoen Road, where protests are ongoing. These buses will also avoid the Pan Fah and Khok Wua intersections.
The buses changing their routes are: 2, 15, 60, 68, 42, 82, 79, 511, 59, 503, 47, 516, 556, 509, 70, 44, 157, 35, 171 and 169.