Present at Phuket Provincial Hall for the video conference was Phuket Vice Governor Wongsakorn Nunchukan, joined by Region 8 Police Deputy Commander Maj Gen Theeraphon Thipcharoen and officials from government departments involved in the road-safety campaign.
Phuket Governor Phakaphong Tavipatana was not present for the meeting.
“This meeting aims to prevent road accidents and keep people safe while travellng in Phuket for the New Year 2020,” V/Gov Wongsakorn said.
The campaign this year, in line with tradition, has been divided into three periods, V/Gov Wongsakorn explained.
The first period, from Nov 1 to Dec 2, featured a road-safety public-awareness campaign, he said.
V/Gov Wongsakorn said that the second period was Dec 1-26, but did not explain what was to be achieved during the weeks leading up to Christmas, but ,did explain that the seven days Dec 27 to Jan 2 will be dedicated to “intensive control” on traffic violations.
Repeating the same policy guidelines as last year, V/Gov Wongsakorn explained that the “measures” to be rolled out during annual road-safety campaign comprised: “measures to reduce human risk; reducing environmental risk factors; measures to reduce vehicle risk factors; measures to improve assistance after accidents; water-safety measures; and tourist safety measures (sic).”
“Phuket officials will co-ordinate with each other to set up checkpoints and provide public service to people along main routes,” he said.
“During the holiday period, all rescue teams must be on standby to help people at all times,” he added.
V/Gov Wongsakorn also asked the Phuket office of the Department of Highways to order contractors to suspend all road construction projects and clear up equipment at the worksites in order to help traffic flow during the New Year holidays.
Region 8 Police Deputy Commander Maj Gen Theeraphon said that police officers already had been ordered to focus on providing assistance to motorists, setting up checkpoints and to strictly enforce traffic laws during the holidays.
Phuket concluded the Seven Days of Danger road-safety campaign for New Year 2019 with six dead and 53 injured in 55 accidents reported during the holiday week from Dec 27 to Jan 2. (See story here.)
The “Seven Days” road-safety campaign for New Year 2018 saw two people killed and 46 injured in 46 accidents in Phuket (see story here), while the campaign for New Year 2017 also saw two people killed but 81 injured in 74 road accidents in Phuket during the campaign (see story here).
However, New Year 2016 saw six people killed and 74 injured in 72 accidents on Phuket roads during the week-long campaign.