Cameras will be repositioned around the city to help curb a wider range of traffic violations and cut the rate of arguments between police and motorists, a senior officer says.
Jirapat Phumjit, deputy chief of the Metropolitan Police Bureau (MPB) who oversees traffic regulations in the city, said yesterday he had ordered 88 stations in the city to prepare cameras and other devices for monitoring traffic violations more broadly.
At the moment most cameras are positioned at intersections to catch motorists who run red lights.
Under the new measure, traffic police also hope to catch motorists driving in the wrong lane, for example. However, they have been told to avoid setting up checkpoints on main roads as a way to monitor traffic violations.
Pol Maj Gen Jirapat said he hopes the new measure would help reduce arguments between police and people who disobey the traffic rules.
The measure came after a video clip went viral online, drawing criticism from the internet users. The clip showed a traffic police officer arguing with a driver at a checkpoint.
Maj Gen Jirapat said police are allowed to take photos of people who are breaking the rules in action when they are on patrol or at spots where violations frequently takes place.
However, police must get approval to do so from a deputy superintendent, he added.
By law, police officers have authority to use a camera or other electronic devices to help control traffic violations, Maj Gen Jirapat said.
He did not say exactly where the cameras will be positioned or how many are involved.
A ticket will be issued to people who break the rules on camera and will be sent to violators in the post, he said.
Pol Maj Gen Jirapat insisted police do not try to find fault with drivers and road users unnecessarily.
He believes the new measure will help police work more effectively in curbing traffic rules. The deputy chief urged the Traffic Police Division to inform all city police about the steps.