PRACHUAP KHIRI KHAN - Villagers from three districts ended their protest rally in front of the provincial hall on Monday after the provincial governor agreed to cancel a regulation banning motorcycle sidecars.
The provincial authority earlier passed a regulation that prohibits the use of sidecars for public transportation and selling goods, with fines of 2,000 baht for violators. The regulation was scheduled to take effect on Jan 1.
Provincial governor Veera Sriwattanakhul said the sidecar regulation was issued because of the concerns about public safety regarding motorbikes with large sidecars, according to a report in Daily News.
About 1000 people, with about 500 motorbikes with large, roofed sidecars, rallied at the provincial hall to protest against the regulation on Monday morning. They agreed to end their protest about noon after getting the governor's assurance it would be cancelled withini 30 days.
The protestors handed in requests asking for a cancellation of the regulation and legalisation of motorbikes with attached sidecars. They also demanded the removal of the chief of the provincial Land Transport Department office, Pinyo Apinyalawan.
The protesters said they needed to be able to attach sidecars to their motorbikes to make a living.
A member of the provincial administrative team supported the protesters, adding that if such a regulation was enforced throughout Thailand then millions of people who use sidecars during their daily business would be affected.