Phuket Vice Governor Sattha Thongkam explained the new initiative at an event held at The Pago Design Hotel in Ratsada yesterday (June 13).
The workshops are to be held under the banner ‘Develop the Potential of District Leaders and Local Government Organisations in Managing the Risk of Road Accidents’.
The aim of the workshops, organised by the Phuket Provincial Office is to “Enhance District Leaders and Local Government Organizations’ Capabilities in Road Accident Risk Management”.
The initiative is part of the ‘district drive project’ aimed at promoting safe motorcycle riding across Phuket, Mr Sattha explained.
The workshops are designed to equip district-level and leaders of local government organisations (municipalities and OrBorTor) with the skills and knowledge necessary to implement effective road safety management mechanisms at all levels.
Attendees at the event yesterday included heads of government agencies, lecturers, and workshop participants.
“Phuket is experiencing an increasing number of road accidents, resulting in significant loss of life and property, which is a major obstacle to our economic development. The number of injuries and fatalities continues to rise, particularly among motorcycle riders and passengers. Preventing and addressing road accidents is an urgent priority for our province,” Vice Governor Sattha said.
Mr Sattha outlined the ‘Phuket Province Road Safety Action Plan 2024’, emphasising a vision of ‘Phuket Province Aiming for Safe Road Travel for Everyone’.
The plan integrates five main strategies: risk district management, law enforcement integration, organisational measures, public relations, and data integration.
The ultimate goal is to reduce injuries and fatalities, improve vehicle standards, road conditions, and strengthen road safety mechanisms at all levels, Mr Sattha explained.
Charan Kwankaew, Deputy Chief of the Phuket Provincial Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office (DDPM-Phuket), provided a detailed report on the alarming road accident statistics in Phuket.
“Phuket Province records over 20,000 general injuries and more than 3,000 serious injuries annually from road accidents. From 2021 to 2023, there was a significant increase in fatalities, with 96 deaths in 2021, 137 in 2022, and 168 in 2023. So far in 2024, there have been 93 deaths,” Mr Charan said.
Of note, national road safety agency ThaiRSC marks ‘only’ 83 deaths and 11.800 people injured in road accidents in Phuket so far this year, including one death yesterday (June 13).
The data indicated that motorcycle users are the most affected group, Mr Charan said.
In 2023, the Department of Disease Control classified Mueang Phuket District and Thalang District as very high-risk areas, with Kathu District also considered high-risk.
In response, the Phuket Provincial Road Safety Administration Center, through DDPM-Phuket, initiated its ‘district drive project’ for safe motorcycle riding, Mr Charan noted.
“This project is funded by the Health Promotion Foundation (Thai Health Promotion Foundation, or SorSorSor) via the Southern Province Traffic Accident Prevention Support Plan,” he said.
The project’s objectives align with the Road Safety Master Plan 2022-2027, aiming to reduce road accidents, injuries and fatalities, particularly from motorcycle use. The initiative operates at both provincial and district levels, involving training and support from the Phuket Provincial Public Health Office, Maharat Nakhon Si Thammarat Hospital, and Thung Yai Hospital, Mr Charan explained.
The workshops target district secretaries, police, district public health officers, hospitals and local administrative organisations, with 40 participants from 32 agencies.
“The goal is to develop more mentors at the district and local government levels, enabling them to drive road safety management mechanisms effectively across all administrative levels,” Mr Charan said.
“The initiative also aims to establish village/community constitutions on road safety management, reducing the number of high-risk districts and ultimately decreasing motorcycle-related injuries and fatalities in Phuket Province,” he added.