Government seeks to reduce New Year's road victim toll by 5%

BANGKOK, Dec 26 (TNA) -- The Thai government has targeted reducing the number of road accident victims during the upcoming New Year’s holidays at five per cent below last year, said Anucha Mokhaves, director-general of the national Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department.

The number of fatalities during last New Year’s holidays stood at 367, said Mr Anucha, adding that his department will establish a centre to oversee safety and assist road victims between December 28 and January 4.

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban, who is responsible for national security affairs, has assigned both the interior and public health ministries as major agencies supervising traffic safety during the period, Mr Anucha said.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said while presiding over the 2009 National Disaster Prevention Day ceremony, held at Bangkok’s Dusit Zoo, that members of the public should be alert in preventing accidents as the country has lost more than Bt200 billion annually in the past on accidents.

On a plan by members of the anti-government United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) to organise a countdown to New Year’s in the northern capital of Chiang Mai, Mr Abhisit said he believed the planned gathering would not affect tourism in the province.

So far there are no reports of a “third-hand” creating disturbances during the gathering, Mr Abhisit added. (TNA)