A total of 19 illegally parked vehicles were hauled off the roads of Bangkok by police on Monday under a stringent new policy aimed at alleviating traffic jams in the city.
A tow-truck from Bang Sue police station tows a car after it is found parked illegally under Ari BTS Station on Phahon Yothin Road on Monday. Photo by Apichit Jinakul
Assistant to the national police chief Pol Lt Gen Ruangsak Jaritake said two cars were towed away to Phayathai police station, two to Bang Sue, three to Phahonyothin, one to Lumpini, one to Khlong Tan, one to Thung Maha Mek, one to Thonglor, two to Pathumwan, and six to Talad Plu.
The enforcers of the policy consist of 400 city traffic policemen, 100 road patrol volunteers, and 100 municipal police officers, Pol Lt Gen Ruangsek said, adding that police have 94 tow trucks at the ready.
The first victim of the tough new law was a black pickup truck parked illegally in front of the Civil Court on Ratchadapisek Road, which was hauled off to Phahonyothin police station at around 9am.
From Monday onwards, cars parked illegally on 10 congested roads in the capital’s busiest areas will be towed away to local police stations, and it will cost owners 1,000 baht to reclaim their vehicles.
The roads include Lat Phrao, Rama 4, Sukhumvit, Ratchadaphisek, Ramkhamhaeng, Phahon Yothin, Kaset- Nawamin, Sathorn, Ratchadamnoen, Phetchaburi and Vibhavadi-Rangsit.
According to the deputy Bangkok police chief supervising traffic Pol Maj Gen Adul Narongsak, the new parking law will come into effect across 50 more routes in November and then later on all roads in the capital.
Previously, police would clamp illegally parked vehicles, which motorists would have to pay a 500 baht to have removed.