Heavy-duty: Thai police to crackdown on overloaded trucks

The Metropolitan Police Bureau (MPB) has been empowered to crack down on trucks exceeding legal weight limits.

Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul inked the amendment to the ministerial order, marking a significant shift in highway law enforcement, disclosed ministry spokesperson Trisulee Trisaranakul yesterday, January 18.

Before this regulatory facelift, only local highway officials, primarily from the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), wielded the authority to enforce the 1992 Highway Act, inclusive of rules governing overloaded trucks. Trisulee highlighted that the amendment extends the ambit of law enforcement, as now MPB officials can actively participate, ensuring a more robust and comprehensive approach.

The impetus behind this change is the rampant issue of overloaded trucks wreaking havoc on Bangkok’s roads, causing damage and jeopardising public safety. The catalyst for the urgency in revising these regulations was a high-profile incident on November 8 last year. At Sukhumvit Soi 64/1 in Phra Khanong, concrete slabs crumbled beneath the weight of a truck transporting construction debris, leading to a cascading chain of events.

Two motorbike riders were caught in the chaos, requiring hospitalisation for their injuries. The incident not only brought traffic on the bustling Sukhumvit Road to a standstill but also prompted a thorough investigation, reported The Nation.

Questions loom large regarding the officials’ responsibility in monitoring truck weights and suspicions of their involvement in a potential bribery scandal, intensifying the public’s demand for accountability.

In related news, the Court of Appeals increased the sentence of a police officer who fatally struck a doctor on a Bangkok zebra crossing. Police Lance Corporal Norawit Buadok, riding a red Ducati big bike, crashed into ophthalmologist Waralak Supawat-Jariyakul on January 21, 2022. The incident occurred in front of Bhumirajanagarindra Kidney Institute Hospital on Phya Thai Road.

In other news, a fatal collision between a motorbike and an 18-wheel truck took place around 10am on January 17 in Chachoengsao. The incident resulted in one death and serious injuries.