BANGKOK, Sept 9 – The Thai capital’s Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has launched a new service to provide safety to people on their way home, it was announced today.
BMA spokeswoman Treedao Aphaiwong said the objective of the project, begun on August 15, was to ensure a safe journey home for people between 9pm and midnight.
During August 15-31, city civil servants escorted 1,155 people to their homes. The largest number of requests was 28 persons in Prawes district who sought help from city officials at dusk while Yannawa, Kanna Yao, Bangkapi, Nong Chok and Bangkok Noi were the districts with the least number of service requests made, only one person in each district.
She said Bangkok residents who don’t feel safe during their journeys home late at night could seek help from city hall.
Ms Treedao said city workers also coordinate with police in directing traffic and helping motorists during Friday rush hours, the last day of the month and before long holidays from 3pm to 9pm.
Pilot projects were launched on Sukhumvit Road from Pathumwan intersection to Soi Thonglor, and Rama IV Road from Hualampong railway station to Klong Toey intersection. They will be expanded to Lad Prao and Ratchada Pisek Roads soon, she said.
Ms Treedao said the BMA initiated the Bangkok Eyes programme to receive complaints from Bangkok residents through its call centre at Tel 1555 and created an application on smart phones.
A total of 121 complaints have been filed via the application between April 9 and September 9, she said, adding that the ‘app’ was viewed by more than 500,000 people.
