Sat, May 25, 2013 12:59:03 PM
Bangkok Post
Sat, May 25, 2013 12:59:03 PM
Bangkok Post
The waiting time for royal motorcades to pass should be less once a new set of rules is introduced.
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New royal motorcade rules to be introducedAlmost any long-time Bangkok resident will recognise when a royal motorcade is coming.
Smartly uniformed police will be seen along the route and long before the motorcade arrives the road will empty of normal traffic. Traffic police are stationed at every pedestrian bridge to keep people from crossing above the procession.
People are used to it but it is an inconvenience and his Majesty the King wants to see it reduced to a minimum.
The King last year instructed the Office of the Principal Private Secretary to work with state agencies on ways to help alleviate traffic problems caused by the royal motorcades.
Pol Maj Gen Anand Srihiran, Deputy Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, who is in charge of special affairs, said a committee had devised guidelines for traffic police to follow.
While security for the royal motorcades will remain strict on official trips, traffic management rules will be eased for private journeys.
For example, on two-way roads, vehicles travelling in the opposite direction to the motorcades will be allowed to proceed.
At the moment, traffic on both sides is stopped well in advance.
Push-carts which are currently required to move away from main roads will instead be allowed to stay at the roadside as the royal motorcade passes by.
Pedestrian bridges which are normally closed well in advance of the arrival of the royal motorcades will remain open until the royal motorcade actually arrives.
Motorists will also be allowed to use U-turn bridges while the royal motorcade passes.
The period in which traffic is halted prior to the arrival of the royal motorcade will also be reduced to minimise the impact on the public.
In addition, people will be able to use escalators on the opposite side of the road.
The new arrangement will be assessed as to whether it is practical and if it reduces traffic wait times, Pol Maj Gen Anand said.
Adapted from a story in today's Bangkok Post.
motorcade – a group of cars traveling with someone very important ขบวนรถ (royal motorcade ขบวนรถพระที่นั่ง)resident – a person who lives in a particular area ผู้ที่อาศัยในท้องที่recognise – to know who a person is or what something is จำได้ รู้จักsmart – looking clean and neat; well dressed in fashionable and/or formal clothes เนี้ยบ, สะอาดและประณีต, น่ามอง, นำสมัยuniform – the special set of clothes worn by all members of an organisation or a group at work, or by children at school เครื่องแบบroute – the roads used to go from one place to another เส้นทางstation – to cause someone to be in a particular place to do a job ตั้งประจำpedestrian – a person who walks, especially in an area where vehicles go คนเดินถนนprocession – a line of people or vehicles moving in a formal way ขบวน used to – familiar to you because you have often done it before or experienced it before คุ้นเคยกับinconvenience – an annoying problem or situation, especially one that forces you to make an extra effort to do something ความไม่สะดวกสบาย ความลำบากreduce – to make something smaller or less in amount, size, importance etc ลดลงminimum – the lowest possible; the lowest allowed ต่ำที่สุด, น้อยที่สุด instruct – to tell somebody to do something, especially in a formal or official way สั่งstate – government รัฐบาลalleviate – to make something less painful, severe, or serious ทำให้บรรเทา ทำให้น้อยลงdeputy – a person whose rank is immediately below that of the leader of an organisation รอง commissioner – the head of a particular police force in some countries หัวหน้ากรมmetropolitan police – the police in responsible for a city ตำรวจนครบาลaffairs – events affecting a government, military, organisation, etc. กรณียกิจ, กิจธุระcommittee – a group of people who are chosen, usually by a larger group, to make decisions or to deal with a particular subject คณะกรรมการdevise – to invent a method of doing something คิดขึ้นใหม่guidelines – official instructions or advice about how to do something สิ่งที่ช่วยแนะแนวทางให้ปฏิบัติsecurity – protection; safety from attack, harm, or damage ระบบรักษาความปลอดภัstrict – very careful and exact เข้มงวดofficial – connected with the job of somebody who is in a position of authority ที่เป็นทางการease – to make a problem, situation or pain less severe or serious บรรเทาprivate – intended for or involving a particular person or group of people, not for people in general ส่วนตัวopposite – across from or facing someone or something ที่อยู่ตรงกันข้ามproceed – to carry out an activity ดำเนินการin advance – before the time that is expected; before something happens ก่อนpush-cart – a small vehicle that you push along by hand รถเข็นcurrently – at this time; now ในปัจจุบันmotorist – a person driving a car คนขับรถยนต์halt – to stop หยุดprior to – before ก่อนหน้าminimise – to reduce something harmful or unpleasant to the smallest amount or degree ลดให้เหลือน้อยที่สุดimpact – an effect or influence ผลกระทบthe public – people in general ประชาชน, สาธารณชน, มหาชนescalator – a set of moving stairs that take people from one level to another in a large building บันไดเลื่อนarrangement – a plan or preparation that you make so that something can happen; an agreement that you make with somebody that you can both accept การจัดการ, ข้อตกลงassess – to carefully consider a situation, person, or problem in order to make a judgment ประเมิณสถานการณ์practical – suitable for the situation in which something is used ที่ขึ้นอยู่กับความเป็นจริง
