The ban has been jointly instigated by the national departments of Disease Control and Land Transport. To show they mean business, officials from the departments have been handing out stickers to cabbies with the warning that failing to prominently display them is punishable with a fine.
Senior Land Transport director Sanit Phromwong and his counterpart, Dr Suthep Petchmak from Disease Control, have been out and about this week to oversee the distribution of the stickers. A spokesperson says non-compliance on displaying the stickers at present is punishable with a fine of up to THB2,000.
Cabbies have to display the requisite sticker at the front of their vehicles near their taxi operator’s licence. The same THB2,000 fine applies to those spotted smoking in vehicles. Members of the public have been urged to phone the Land Transport Department’s hotline on 1584 if they see anybody breaking the law.
Thailand taxi drivers ordered to stub out cigarettes
News in Asia
Authorities in Thailand have issued an order banning smoking in taxis throughout the kingdom. The ban comes into effect tomorrow and applies to both drivers and their passengers.