Use of Section 44 to increase penalties for traffic offenders might be necessary if current measures fail to tackle chronic traffic congestion in Bangkok, says national police chief Chakthip Chaijinda.
He said authorities are stepping up efforts to solve the traffic problems especially on the city's 21 major roads but if the results are not satisfactory, he would recommend Section 44 of the interim charter be invoked to impose harsher punishments.
However, Pol Gen Chakthip did not discuss the details.
Earlier, a proposal was raised to require people who fail to pay traffic tickets within one month of committing the offence to pay four times the penalty.
Transport agencies have been racing to address the city's traffic gridlocks after Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon recently gave them one month to solve the traffic problems.
According to the national police chief, improvements have been made on several routes of the 21 targeted roads in the last 10 days, with average traffic speed slightly increasing. The progress was reported to the deputy prime minister.
The police chief said authorities began removing median strips on certain roads to allow for more traffic space, which eased traffic bottlenecks as expected.
Authorities plan to remove a total of 21 median strips.
Pol Gen Chakthip said traffic regulations also are being enforced strictly, with more than 5,000 traffic tickets issued during the past 10 days to motorists who violated traffic rules. Parking in prohibited areas was the top priority as it contributed a great deal to traffic congestion.
He said police were also working closely with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration to ease flooding on the roads. City workers would ensure the drainage system was not clogged up and police would be deployed to manage traffic at flood-prone spots.
He urged motorists to call 1197, 1159 or 191 around the clock to report traffic problems.
Meanwhile, city police chief Pol Lt Gen Sanit Mahathavorn, State Railway of Thailand governor Wutthichart Kalayanamitr and city authorities on Monday inspected a road construction project near Mae Nam railway station which is expected to help relieve traffic jams.