The military will turn the screws on Pattaya’s baht buses and taxis again this month, ending the practice of warning drivers and banning them from camping outside malls and hotels.
Maj. Gen. Popanan Luengpanuwat, head of the National Council for Peace and Order in Banglamung, met with transport operators, police and city officials Aug. 22 to announce yet another “D-Day” on enforcement of its traffic policies.
Starting Sept. 1, he said, drivers of tour buses, baht buses and taxi cabs caught violating traffic and parking rules no longer will receive a warning. They will be fined on the spot and, in some cases, their vehicles impounded for seven days.
Popanan noted that since the army imposed its new rules in February, more than 700 drivers have been cited, fined and trucks impounded, but violations continue.
He said the next step is to prohibit baht buses and taxis from parking for long stretches outside shopping malls and hotels in hopes of snaring a high-paying customer.
While he did not specify what the time limit would be – or how the dictate would be enforced – Popanan said authorities would ask for “cooperation” from mall and hotel operators to roust drivers camped out in front of their properties.
