THURSDAY, March 28, 2024
nationthailand

Cops, drivers at odds on rush-hour checkpoints

Cops, drivers at odds on rush-hour checkpoints

The Metropolitan Police's plan to prohibit officers from setting up checkpoints during the daytime has been met with mixed reactions.

 

Of course, commuters welcome the policy, while policemen cry foul that it will make it more difficult for them to carry out their duty to prevent crime.
Following complaints by a lot of city residents and commuters that checkpoints set up by police during rush hour have caused traffic snarls, the chiefs of the traffic and the metropolitan police came up with a policy prohibiting the setting up of checkpoints before 9pm. Many commuters allege that traffic police set up checkpoints for their own financial gain. 
The traffic police were ordered under the new policy to make arrests only for 12 serious traffic offences, including drunk driving, road racing and violating the speed limit.
Pol Sen Sgt-Major Jiradej Panyana of Hua Mark police station said he disagreed with the abolition of daytime checkpoints, as it would provide loopholes for criminals to commit crimes in the long run.
He said police only randomly set up road checkpoints two times a week.
Another Hua Mark police officer, Sen Maj-General Samrerng Srikaew, said road checkpoints were necessary for reducing crimes.
He said police only manned road checkpoints for one or two hours a day and most checkpoints were not set up during rush hour. He said traffic congestion occurred with or without road checkpoints.
Pol Captain Apichanayan Kramsungnern, deputy traffic inspector of Huay Kwang police station, said road checkpoints would make it safer for police officers working on roads as they would be accompanied by other officers. He said officers at the checkpoints would help make arrests when needed to.
The policy was welcomed by Ekkasit Ngadin, 46, a passenger van driver.
“I believe the abolition of road checkpoints would reduce traffic congestion and stop wasting motorists’ time,” Ekkasit said.
He said he had found that traffic snarls were usually due to police checkpoints.
Ratanasan Danprom, 29, a private firm employee, said he agreed with setting up checkpoints after 9pm because crimes often happened at night, not the daytime. He said road checkpoints during the daytime always caused traffic congestion.
Somsask Muhammad, 36, an official of the Airport Rail Link, said he preferred to have road checkpoints set up during the night because crimes were more common at night.
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