2-5-2024 (BANGKOK) In a bold bid to unclog one of the Thai capital’s most notoriously gridlocked intersections, city authorities have deployed cutting-edge artificial intelligence firepower to combat the scourge of illegally parked taxis obstructing bus lanes around the bustling Ratchaprasong district. The pioneering “Ratchaprasong Model” initiative, announced Wednesday by senior municipal advisor Pol General Adit Ngamjitsuksri, sees AI-enabled cameras installed to automatically read license plates of vehicles violating traffic regulations outside the iconic CentralWorld shopping complex.
The ubiquitous traffic snarls emanating from the neon-bathed Ratchaprasong Intersection have long represented an emblem of Bangkok’s monumental congestion crisis. Situated within a dense constellation of retail behemoths and a critical BTS transit hub, the perpetually choked crossroads is further complicated by the ever-present throngs of Hindu and Buddhist devotees flocking to the renowned Erawan Shrine.
However, under the cutting-edge crackdown, any taxi or tuk-tuk apprehended idling for over three minutes on Ratchadamri Road will now have their numberplate photographed and timestamped, with the damning evidence swiftly forwarded to prosecutors to pursue legal ramifications. “Those who stop in this spot for more than three minutes, thus exceeding the legal limit, will have their vehicles photographed with a time stamp as evidence,” affirmed Adit. “The data will be forwarded to the relevant agencies to pursue legal action.”
The AI offensive represents the municipal authorities’ latest salvo in the protracted battle to curb Ratchaprasong’s paralysing gridlock. Traffic police have additionally erected cones segregating bus lanes to steer private vehicle flow away from public transit corridors. Compounding matters, ride-hailing giants like Grab and Bolt have been enlisted to relocate their Ratchaprasong pickup points deeper into the mall’s interior to reduce curbside congestion.
The AI onslaught was inaugurated during a high-profile visit on Wednesday which witnessed Adit and senior government representatives – including the Prime Minister’s deputy secretary Phongsaran Asawachaisophon – scrutinising the model’s implementation firsthand. Officials are optimistic the disruptive technology could catalyse a panacea for Bangkok’s seemingly interminable traffic quagmire.
“The Ratchaprasong Model could be further improved to fix other problems related to taxi services in tourist hotspots across the city,” posited Adit, “such as overcharging, taking indirect routes to increase fares, or dropping foreign tourists at establishments offering fake products and substandard services.”
Indeed, Bangkok’s perpetual gridlock has long represented a scourge upon the kingdom’s lucrative tourism industry and economic dynamism. With over 7 million vehicles jostling across the municipality’s cramped roads annually, Bangkok’s traffic uncouthly snarled the capital for an estimated 64 hours per motorist in 2022 – a crippling impediment equating to nearly $10 billion in lost productivity.
