BANGKOK (ANN/THE NATION) – At a bustling intersection nestled amidst several shopping malls and a BTS station, as well as the revered Erawan Shrine frequented by Hindu and Buddhist devotees, a new initiative dubbed the “Ratchaprasong Model” is underway.
According to Pol General Adit Ngamjitsuksri, advisor to the Bangkok governor, AI-enabled cameras have been deployed to scrutinise vehicle licence plates for traffic violations.
This technological endeavour aims to prioritise the detection of taxis and tuk-tuk drivers obstructing traffic flow while awaiting customers in front of the malls along Ratchadamri Road.
“Those who stop in this spot for more than three minutes, thus exceeding the legal limit, will have their vehicles photographed with a timestamp as evidence. The data will be forwarded to the relevant agencies to pursue legal action,” he said.
He added that the cameras are being used in conjunction with police traffic cones to guide vehicle drivers into lanes that do not block the public buses.
The city has also asked ride-hailing app operators, including Grab and Bolt, to move their pin location at Ratchaprasong Intersection closer to CentralWorld’s entrance and further away from the roads to minimise traffic congestion caused by app users.
On Wednesday, Adit led a group of city and government officials including deputy secretary-general to the Prime Minister Phongsaran Asawachaisophon, Bangkok deputy governor Wisanu Subsompon, and government spokesperson Chai Wacharonke to witness how the Ratchaprasong Model works and how the system can be adopted city-wide to fix traffic woes.
