Too many motorbikes on sidewalks to handle, police say

[Big Boy]

3-year ban proposed on sidewalk-hogging motorcycle taxi drivers

Since July 9 last year, BMA officials have arrested 24,337 motorcyclists for pavement riding and collected about 17 million baht in fines.

That seems to be a lot of arrests, catching 60 per day, and a 700฿ fine sounds a lot in Thailand's justice system. Are these just Thai 'tourism style' statistics, or are they really happening? If true, the figures are quite impressive - how do they catch these criminal law breakers? I have this vision of BIB hiding behind lamp posts and jumping out in front of offenders.

Full marks if they are catching them, but having seen Thailand's BIB in action, I find the numbers incredible.

[Dannie Boy]

Actually, 60 a day is just 5 an hour if you assume daylight hours only - spread across the whole of Bangkok that’s a really small amount.

[Nereus]

I have this vision of BIB hiding behind lamp posts and jumping out in front of offenders.

As far as I know it is not the police, traffic or otherwise. Cannot recall what they are called just now,(gestapo!) but the Bangkok Administration (City Hall) "officers" are supposed to enforce the law.

City officers under scrutiny

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... r-scrutiny

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has moved to bring its municipality officers to heel after receiving a slew of complaints about inappropriate behaviour.

A BMA source, who asked not to be named, said City Hall has issued letters asking its relevant offices as well as district offices to make sure municipality officers do not tarnish the image of the capital's administration.

Among the complaints are the way the officers over-accessorise their uniforms which might cause the misunderstanding that they are military or police officers. Hairstyles other than those indicated in the regulations, tattoos and swearing, are other issues the source said.

Complaints also include officers allowing unauthorised signs or street vendors to do business in prohibited areas, failing to regulate the riding or parking of motorcycles on footpaths and other violations of laws on cleanliness and order in the city, the source said.

The BMA has told city inspectors to warn officers found violating the regulations. Three warnings will lead to a potential transfer for the municipal officer as well as their supervisor, the source quoted the letter as saying.

edit: add another link:

http://thainews.prd.go.th/en/news/detai ... 5221120130

City officers being trained as traffic police assistants

[Big Boy]

But you must have seen how Thailand's police work. Either sit behind a desk or under a shady tree and wait for the crime to come to them. Does proactive policing really happen in Thailand? If it does, 5 times a hour seems excessive/improbable.

The last time I was 'caught' in Bangkok was at a toll booth. The BIB was asleep outside in the shade of the toll booth. As soon as the booth operator saw my skin, she woke the BIB, and he claimed he had been tracking me driving all all the way from Hua Hin on the hard shoulder. He wrote my registration on to his clipboard, and then produced his clipboard as evidence that I'd been reported. FFS, it was a quiet Saturday morning, with minimal traffic - why would anybody go anywhere the hard shoulder. Resistance is futile. Pay the tea money and move on.

[Nereus]

="Big Boy"The last time I was 'caught' in Bangkok was at a toll booth.

Well, serves you right. You are not supposed to ride a motorbike on expressways where there are toll booths!

[Big Boy]

I doubt they'd have recognised a real crime.

[VincentD]

Well, another 'measure' they could implement (and much to the displeasure of the jacketed mototaxi mafia) is to remove all the access points - ramps that have been built into the pavements to facilitate motorbike access - and see what happens.

Years ago, they quietly chipped a trough in the speed hump in front of my house so they would not be impeded in their progress.. I would go out and buy a bag of bitumen-impregnated gravel and fill the void. It certainly annoyed them to the point one of the village residents (who frequently used their services) told me about it. I told him I was just repairing damage to the speed bump done by some irresponsible person who was damaging village property in front of my house. I'm sure my comments got back to them.
So nothing more was done, the speed bump retained its shape, and they used to call me the mad farang after that.
The road has since been paved over and the speed bump moved elsewhere.

[Nereus]

Bikers pay price for riding on paths

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... g-on-paths

Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has collected more than 21.5 million baht in fines from thousands of motorcycle riders who ignored laws and rode on pavements.

Bangkok deputy governor Sakoltee Phattiyakul said the fine had been collected since the BMA started a campaign against motorcyclists riding on pavement on July 9, 2018. Penalties during the crackdown rose from 500 to 1,000 baht.

Up until Sunday, city officials caught 28,775 riders on pavements or attempting to ride on them.

Of those, about 22,100 were fined, while others were warned or were awaiting their court date.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... z#cxrecs_s

BMA hails pavement riding blitz