Big trucks face 20-hour ban in Bangkok

What with construction works and trucks, travelling on Bangkok's roads can be a nightmare. The transport minister hopes to ease the problem by limiting the hours big trucks can be on the streets to midnight-4am. (File photo)

Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob plans to ban big trucks from the streets of Bangkok from 4am to midnight - limiting their movement to only four hours each morning - to relieve traffic congestion in the capital.

Trucks carrying cement, fuel and perishable food would not be exempted from the ban, which should effectively improve traffic flow given that about 50,000 big trucks used Bangkok's roads each day, he said.

The boundary would include parts of Pathum Thani, Nonthaburi and Samut Prakan provinces.

In parts of adjacent provinces outside the boundary, big trucks would be able to operate nine hours a day, from 9pm to 6am. In other provinces, existing operating hours for big trucks would remain at between 10am and 4pm and between 9pm and 6am, Mr Saksayam said.

To prevent protests from truckers, the minister said he would prepare compensation measures.

Concerned organisations would have one month to prepare, and then he would propose the idea to the cabinet for approval.

Currently, trucks with 10 wheels or more are limited to entering the city between 9pm and 6am, and trailer trucks and those transporting dangerous goods from 10pm to 6am.