Bangkok area taxis wait for passengers at Suvarnabhumi Airport. SOMCHAI POOMLARD
By Terry Fredrickson
If the Transport Ministry has its way, it won't be too long before your trip by taxi is recorded on CCTV, ensuring that your driver — and you too — behave properly.
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Ministry considers CCTV cameras for all taxis
Amornrat Mahitthirook
The Transport Ministry is considering making taxi operators install closed-circuit television cameras in all cabs to boost passenger safety.
Transport Minister Chadchart Sittipunt said the proposal to install CCTV in cabs was aimed at enabling authorities to monitor the conduct of taxi drivers and passengers.
The installation of CCTV would boost the safety of passengers and also help collect evidence to take action against taxi drivers in the event of misconduct or law violations Mr Chadchart said. This would also help solve problems of taxi drivers refusing to take passengers.
‘‘If a closed-circuit television camera is installed in a cab, it will function like an aeroplane’s black box data storage device as images and voices of people will be recorded. This will help authorities know what is happening in the taxis,’’ the minister said.
He has assigned the Land Transport Department to find ways to take action against taxi firms aside from punishing wayward drivers, as most drivers do not own the cabs.
Transport Department deputy chief Asdsathai Rattanadilok Na Phuket said a ministerial regulation was being drafted to hold taxi owners accountable for refusal of service by drivers who rented their vehicles. Taxi operators may be liable to the maximum penalty — revocation of their operating licences — if their drivers refuse to pick up passengers.
The regulation is expected to be enforced in three months, Mr Asdsathai said.
The department was preparing a database to link lists of drivers from private taxi garages to the department’s information centre to help authorities locate drivers in the event of violations of the law, he said.
Transport department deputy director-general Chirute Visalachitr said the department also planned to have Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking devices installed in taxis.
If a driver or passengers encountered any untoward incidents the devices could help police arrest culprits
Initially, taxis operated by juristic persons may be installed with GPS devices under a pilot project Mr Chirute said.
There are about 100,000 metered taxis registered with the department. Of them, 70,000 cabs are operated by companies and the remaining 30,000 by individuals
About 20,000 taxi cabs operated by companies have already had GPS devices installed on a voluntary basis.
But no taxis owned by individuals have been installed with GPS devices
Vocabulary
accountable: responsible for something that has happened - ซึ่งรับผิดชอบ, สามารถอธิบายได้
aim: to have as your purpose or goal - มีเป้าหมาย มีจุดมุ่งหมาย
arrest: (of the police) to take someone to a police station because they are believed to have committed a crime - จับกุม
aside from: apart from; except for - นอกจาก, นอกเหนือจาก
authority: a person who has the power to make decisions or enforce the law - เจ้าหน้าที่ผู้มีอำนาจ
boost: to improve or increase something - ส่งเสริม
closed-circuit television: a television system that works within a limited area, for example a public building, to protect it from crime - โทรทัศน์วงจรปิด (ซีซีทีวี)
conduct: the way someone behaves, especially in relation to particular rules or accepted ways of behaving - ความประพฤติ
consider: to give careful thought to something before making a decision - พิจารณา
culprit: someone who has done something wrong - ผู้กระทำความผิด
data: facts or information, especially when examined and used to find out things or to make decisions - ข้อมูล, ตัวเลข, สถิติ
database: a large amount of information stored in a computer in an organised way - ฐานข้อมูล
deputy: a person whose rank is immediately below that of the leader of an organisation - รอง
device: a machine or piece of equipment that does a particular job - อุปกรณ์ เครื่องมือ เครื่องจักร
draft: to write a document, plan, etc. that may be changed before it is finally accepted - ร่าง
enable: to make someone able to do something, or to make something possible - ทำให้เป็นไปได้
encounter: to experience something, especially something unpleasant or difficult, while you are trying to do something else - เจอ, ประสบ
enforce: to make sure laws are obeyed - บังคับให้ใช้, บังคับให้ทำ, ใช้กำลังบังคับให้ปฏิบัติตาม
evidence: facts statements or objects that help to prove whether or not someone has committed a crime - หลักฐาน
firm: a business or company - บริษัท
function: to serve as; to be used as - ใช้เป็น, ทำหน้าที่เป็น
image: any picture, especially one formed by a mirror or a lens - จินตภาพ ภาพลักษณ์
in the event of: if this happens -
incident: something that happens, usually something bad - เหตุการณ์
individual: a person considered separately rather than as part of a group - บุคคล
initially: at first - ในเบื้องต้น
liable: legally responsible for causing damage or injury - มีความรับผิดชอบตามกฎหมาย
licence: an official document that gives someone permission to do or use something - ใบอนุญาต
link: to connect - เชื่อม
locate: to find where someone or something is - หาทำเล,หาที่ตั้ง
maximum: the most possible - ที่สูงสุด ที่มากที่สุด
misconduct: unacceptable or bad behaviour by someone in a position of authority or responsibility - การประพฤติผิด
monitor: keep track of - ตรวจ, ติดตาม, เฝ้าสังเกต
operator: a person or company that runs a business - ผู้ดำเนินกิจการทางธุรกิจ, ผู้ประกอบธุรกิจ
penalty: a punishment, or the usual punishment, for doing something that is against a law - โทษ
pilot project: a plan, product or system that is used to test how good something is before introducing it - โครงการ นำร่อง
private: involving groups, businesses or industries that are not owned or controlled by the government - เอกชน
proposal: a plan or suggestion for a group to consider - ข้อเสนอ
refuse: to say you will not do something that someone has asked you to do - ปฏิเสธ
register: to put your name and other information on an official list in order to be allowed to do something, e.g., vote, study, stay in a hotel etc - ลงทะเบียน
regulation: an official rule that controls the way that things are done - กฎระเบียบ
rent: to pay money for the use of something for a period of time - เช่า
revocation: officially saying that something is no longer legal - การยกเลิก การเพิกถอน
storage: the putting and keeping of things in a special place for use in the future - การเก็บ
track: to follow the course of a moving object such as a ship, aircraft or animal using special equipment - ติดตาม, ตามรอย
untoward: unexpected and inconvenient or unpleasant - ซึ่งไม่เป็นผลดี
violation: an action that is against a law, agreement, principle, etc. - การฝ่าฝืน
voluntary: done because you choose to do it, not because you have to do it - ด้วยความสมัครใจ
wayward: difficult to control - ควบคุมยาก
