Taxis in Bangkok and nearby provinces will have better hygiene standards
in preparation for the arrival of the ASEAN Community in less than three years’
time.
Public Health Minister Wittaya
Buranasiri said that the Ministry of Public Health is launching the “Healthy
Taxi” project in response to the Government’s policy of reducing health risks
and initiating good health measures.
The project is aimed at improving
safety standards in terms of sanitation in various taxis and among taxi
drivers, so that passengers, especially sick people, will not be concerned
about communicable diseases. It is also regarded as an act of surveillance to
prevent certain diseases, such as influenza, that might occur after using
public transport.
Minister Wittaya stated that the
project is divided into two parts. The first part seeks to promote health among
taxi drivers by providing them with free medical check-ups, such as blood tests
and X-ray service. The medical check-ups will be offered at 10 hospitals in
Bangkok and its vicinity.
These hospitals include
Rajavithi, Noparatrajathanee, Lerdsin), Phra Nang Klao, Priest Hospital, the
Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health, the Prasat Neurological
Institute, the National Cancer Institute, the Institute of Dermatology, and the
Chest Disease Institute.
Health certificates will be given
to taxi drivers who have joined this project, and they are required to have
medical check-ups every year. The Ministry of Public Health believes that when
taxi drivers enjoy better health, they will drive more carefully, and by so
doing, road accidents are likely to decline.
In the second part, all
participating taxis will have to be checked on a regular basis to ensure that
their sanitation, both inside and outside the cars, is up to accepted
standards. The vehicle conditions must also be improved to the standards set by
the Ministry of Transport.
According to Minister Wittaya,
taxis passing through these checks will receive a sticker showing their safety
conditions. They will be registered at various hospitals, which will arrange a
“healthy taxi” spot at the out-patient department to provide better services
for patients.
In the initial stage, 1,000 taxis
will be accepted to join the project by September 2012 and the number will
increase in the next fiscal year. Statistics compiled by the Department of Land
Transport show that there are currently more than 100,000 taxi drivers in
Bangkok and nearby provinces. Out of this number, about 20,000 are the owners
of their taxis, while 60,000 rent them for making a living.
Minister Wittaya added that the
Health Taxi project would also help promote Thailand’s tourism and the
development of the country into a medical hub of Asia.
via Inside Thailand — Improving
Hygiene Standards for Taxis in Preparation for the Arrival of the ASEAN
Community.
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