Angry motorcyclists block road over cop's attitude

Angry motorcyclists block road over cop's attitude

Motorcyclists, upset over a clip involving a traffic police and one rider, move to the Traffic Police Division to lodge a complaint after ending a road blockage on Rama IV Road on Sunday. (Photo by Pattarapong Chatpattarasill)
Motorcyclists, upset over a clip involving a traffic police and one rider, move to the Traffic Police Division to lodge a complaint after ending a road blockage on Rama IV Road on Sunday. (Photo by Pattarapong Chatpattarasill)

Over 100 disgruntled motorcyclists on Sunday blocked all four lanes of a road beneath Rama IV Expressway in a protest over a row involving a traffic police officer and a rider.

The protesters, most of whom are members of Pod-aek Chao Songlor (motorcyclists’ liberation) Facebook page, blocked the road at around 11am on Sunday, causing heavy traffic congestion on Rama IV Road.

The protest came after a clip featuring a traffic policeman refusing to hear an explanation by a motorcyclist and riding his bike to trample on the man’s foot on Nov 21 was posted on social media.

Facebook user Owat Kwaithai, who posted the clip, wrote that he went to meet the officer, who issued him with a traffic ticket for violating traffic rules for not keeping left, at a road checkpoint in front of Queen Sirikit National Convention Center on Nov 21. He wanted to explain why he had to use the right lane, but the officer shunned his explanation and scolded him. 

The clip sparked an outcry from members of the group who were earlier upset with traffic rules barring motorcycles from using bridges, tunnels and the right lane.

The protest prompted traffic inspector Pol Lt Col Sironnawit Inthorn to hold talks with the protesters. After negotiation lasting about 20 minutes, the angry motorcyclists agreed to end the road blockage before moving to the Traffic Police Division on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road.

At 1pm, representatives of the protest group lodged a complaint with the Traffic Police Division against Pol Sub Lt Supachai Kritsanaseranee, who was in the clip, for his inappropriate conduct.  

Peerasit Jirawongpaisarn, administrator of the Pod-aek Chao Songlor Facebook page, said the accused officer had looked down on the motorcyclist in the clip. His group also cast doubts over the setting up of road checkpoints as they wanted to know whether the stops help facilitate traffic flow or just allow officers to impose fines to lift the number of traffic violations.

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