The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is set to ask the cabinet to approve its acquisition of traffic police duties from the Royal Thai Police (RTP).
Bangkok governor Aswin Kwanmuang said yesterday the transfer of the traffic police and amending related laws for the move will take five years to complete. To begin with the BMA will ask the cabinet to approve only minor transfers, such as the responsibility for painting road markings and erecting signs.
Governor Aswin said the process is likely to take further shape in March.
The move would represent a breakthrough for the BMA in its longstanding efforts to bring traffic policing under its wing.
It was an initiative started over 20 years ago by former Bangkok governor Bhichit Rattakul, but has long been resisted by the RTP and officers on the street. The proposals, however, began to bear fruit under Mr Aswin, the non-elected governor and former policeman, who has the full backing of the National Council for Peace and Order.
Governor Aswin said the RTP will soon provide training to municipal police on the enforcement of traffic laws. The BMA will also install CCTV cameras to monitor traffic.
In a related development, the BMA will deploy municipal police to oversee traffic safety at over 400 local schools. The project, called "School Zone Safety Zone", is another brainchild of governor Aswin.
The project will assign one municipal police officer to each BMA school. These officers will take care of traffic safety around school premises and keep an eye on students' safety.
The BMA also plans to allocate space in BMA schools to serve as community health centres.