Bangkok’s Thonglor traffic police plan to notify over 25,000 motorists and motorcyclists, who were caught by surveillance cameras encroaching on zebra crossings at the Asoke-Sukhumvit intersection, to pay their fines.
Spokesman for the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) Pongsakorn Kwanmuang said today (Wednesday) that the city and Thonglor police have introduced AI technology to collect information about traffic violators at the intersection.
Within one month of the AI technology entering use, he said 25,094 drivers were detected encroaching onto on zebra crossings, even though the crossing has been expanded and painted in red and white, with an off-limit zone warning sign, notification of penalties and a speed bump to slow down vehicles turning left into Sukhumvit Road.
He also said that the deployment of AI technology is intended to ease burden on traffic police, so they don’t have to be stationed at the intersection to remind motorists and motorcyclists of the need for road discipline.
If the Asoke model is successful, it will be used at other road intersections in Bangkok, added Pongsakorn.
The deputy superintendent of Thonglor traffic police said an average of about 1,000 drivers each day encroach onto zebra crossings at the Asoke-Sukhumvit intersection.
Beginning on February 1st, he said he will serve notice to about 30,000 alleged violators to pay fines. The police’s sudden activeness followed a high-profile fatal accident in which a doctor crossing a Bangkok road was killed by a crowd control police officer on his big bike last week.
Currently, maximum fine for the offence is 1,000 baht. The Royal Thai Police is proposing an increase to 4,000 baht.
