Department of Rural Road aims to alleviate rubber farmers by utilizing 1.8 tonnes of para rubber for road construction in 2019

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Department of Rural Road has responded swiftly to government policy to alleviate para rubber farmers’ hardship by utilizing 18,000 tonnes of para rubber for nationwide road construction.

Mr. Arkhom Termpittayapaisith, Minister of Transport, had assigned Department of Highway and Department of Rural Road to outline ways to assist para rubber farmer by conducting feasibility study on the possibility of utilizing mixture of rubber and asphalt substance to solidify road surface and bridge construction, road safety equipment such as kilometer maker, road cone rubber taking into consideration of cost worthiness and utmost safety to ease para rubber farmers’ difficulty and enhancing price sustainability for rubber.

Mr. Kritthep Simalee, Deputy Permanent Secretary, Acting Director General of Department of Rural Road elucidated that the government initiative by encouraging domestic rubber consumption is one of the stimulus measures which will greatly revitalize rubber farmers’ revenue and uplifting their livelihood.

Moreover, by utilizing rubber to be used for road construction and maintenance will solidify road surface and increase friction contributing to road safety and slippery resistance as 33,620 tonnes of rubber had been used during 2013 – 2018 consecutively.

For the year 2019 Department of Rural Road had utilized 11,300 tonnes of rubber for road construction and maintenance and road safety facilitation worth over 13,293.49 million baht of national budget. While in 2020 the Department of Rural Road is planning to increase rubber mixture from 5% to 8% which will require 18,000 tonnes of raw rubber with construction budget amount 21,145 million bath of nation budget. In addition, the Department of Rural Road is also planning to change 800,000 kilometer markers erected along sharp curve which expect worth over 1,600 million baht.

Moreover, the Department of Rural Road is also collaborating with Rubber Authority of Thailand to expedite rubber development utilization for road safety purpose such as kilometer marker, pedestrian pavement, barrier, guard rail, rumble strip in order to boost rubber domestic consumption for other rural highway road.

Date published 05/03/2019

Source     http://www.thansettakij.com/content/396515