Phuket motorbike rental shops targetted in road safety drive

The move was revealed at a special meeting at Phuket Provincial Hall on Monday (May 8) chaired by Phuket Vice Governor Anupap Rodkwan Yodrabam.

The meeting was held specifically to discuss and draft guidelines to be implemented for controlling and organising motorcycles for rent in Phuket area, said an official report of the meeting.

Among those present at the meeting were Phuket Land Transport Office (PLTO) Chief Adcha Buachan along with senior police and officials from agencies involved in road safety.

A multi-agency task force is to be set up, which will create a database of all vehicle rental operators on the island and draft a list of measures to be enforced, said the report.

The task force will coordinate with vehicle rental business operators to ensure they are informed of the special measures to be introduced, and will conduct random inspections to ensure that the special measures are enforced, the report noted.

The meeting also discussed the provincial policy of ‘100% helmet’ use by all people riding motorbikes, and set out a plan to get “the public to participate in obeying traffic rules and wear 100% helmets”, the report added.

However, exactly how motorbike rental agents are to enforce the helmet wearing requirement after the customer leaves the shop was not explained.

The official report of the meeting by the Phuket office of the Public Relations Department (PR Phuket) also noted, “If Thai people wear helmets near 100%, it will reduce deaths by 6,984 people per year [nationwide].

“If this can be done, controlling and organising motorcycles for rent in the Phuket area more efficiently will  produce tangible results,” the report concluded.