Despite being on the lookout for offences such as speeding, dangerous overtaking, driving while using a mobile phone and driving a motorcycle without a helmet during a three-hour timespan, there were only two cases of violation attributed to driving with an invalid licesnse, police confirmed.
The checkpoint was set up on Chalerm Phrakiat Ror IX Rd in Rassada and was operational between the hours of 8:30am – 11:30am under the direction of Phuket Town Police Station Superintendent Pol Col Sarawut Chuprasit and Deputy Superintendent Lt Col Satit Nurit.
There were a total of eight officers at the site overseeing the campaign, police confirmed.
They reported stopping a total of two motorcycles and eight vehicles (cars, trucks, vans) during the three-hour time span and the only offences undercovered were two people driving without a valid license, who were duly reprimanded.
Officers confirmed that they were specifically on the look out for the following offence categories:
1. Driving without a license
2. Driving without wearing a helmet
3. Driving with “accessories”
4. Driving without wearing seat belts
5. Using a mobile phone while driving
6. Traffic light violations
7. Overtaking in a dangerous place
8. Speeding
9. Driving while intoxicated
There was no mention at all of the CCTV cameras that had supposedly been introduced last year to police traffic violations, let alone whether they were functional and being utilised.