Vientiane Traffic Police Department has confirmed that it recently commissioned the construction of new police booths in order to ensure traffic flows smoothly and maintain security during the 28th and 29th ASEAN Summits.
Police authorities confirmed that it was noticed by the department during the summit preparations that it did not have enough police boxes to adequately service the public and that some of the existing police boxes were old and not in the best condition.
Therefore, the construction of new police booths and renovation of existing ones commenced in July and was concluded at the end of August, authorities reported.
Director of the Vientiane Traffic Police Department, Lieutenant Colonel Youttaphong Souvannasing told Vientiane Times by telephone yesterday that the construction of the new police booths was now completed.
He reported that traffic police officers will be stationed at the new police booths situated throughout the capital, on duty to reduce congestion and ease the movements of foreign delegates and residents alike during the ASEAN Summits set for early September.
Generally speaking, traffic police will be stationed at strategic points along the main roads, at major intersections, and in other high traffic areas in the capital. Traffic officials will also be tasked with providing escorts to ease the transfer of participating government leaders and their delegations, Lieutenant Colonel Youttaphong reported.
The government of Laos has attached great importance to hosting these events by facilitating improvements to roads, ensuring the availability of suitable hotels and other facilities to accommodate the summits, he added.
Lieutenant Colonel Youttaphongsaifd that police will be paying attention to the connecting roads between Arkard to Phonsaart traffic lights, the Pakpasak crossroads to Landmark Mekong Riverside hotel, Phonthan to the Hongxaeng Bridge and other important roads in the capital.
Parking will be forbidden on the roadsides of the above- mentioned roads from the beginning of September until the conclusion of the summits.
Drivers and owners of vehicles parking on the roadsides or sidewalks of the mentioned roads or other forms of non-compliance with the traffic rules will be fined in accordance with the regulations.
Roads also under such rules during the summit include Souphanouvong Avenue-Setthathirath Road from Vientiane’s Wattay International Airport to Landmark Mekong Riverside hotel, Chao Fa-ngum Road from Donchan to the Salongxay crossroads, and Lanexang- Kaysone Phomvihane Road from the Presidential Palace to the Dongdok traffic lights.
Other major thoroughfares to have high numbers of police stationed will include the road section from Nongnieng traffic lights to Lao National Television, and Samsaenthai Road from Thatkhao to Km2.
Laos gained ASEAN membership in 1997 and first chaired the bloc in 2004 when it hosted the 10th ASEAN Summit and its related meetings.
ASEAN, established in 1967, brings together its present 10 members Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam in the construction of its political-security, economic and socio-cultural communities.
Source: Vientiane Times
