A hefty 11.1 million baht in fines was collected from individuals riding motorbikes on sidewalks, City Hall said on Tuesday. In an effort to further discourage offenders, City Hall will increase the minimum fine for riding motorbikes on pavements from 1,000 baht to 2,000 baht starting August 1, announced Sakoltee Phattiyakul, deputy Bangkok Governor, after a meeting with city law compliance officers, or tessakit. Repeat offenders will be punished with a maximum fine of 5,000 baht.
City Hall has also developed a crowd-sourcing initiative to help officers track repeat offenders. Vigilante citizens can upload photos and details of motorcyclists on sidewalks to an official website. Once the case has been closed, a bounty – half of the fine – will be given to the informant.
