TISI Secretary General Phairoj Sanyadechakul said some installers use doughnut-shaped LPG cylinders in clients' cars to save trunk space, but the standard and legal LPG cylinders allowed by the TISI were only those in capsule shape.

Motorists increasingly tend to have their vehicles installed with LPG devices due to the high oil prices, and mostly agree to have doughnutshaped cylinders installed in spare tyre compartment in order to save space.

However, Phairoj did not show statistics or produce any proof which pointed to whether all the explosions and fires occurring to LPGfuelled vehicles resulted from them using doughnutshaped LPG cylinders.

Almost all taxis in Bangkok use capsuleshaped LPG cylinders, and there have been few incidents of explosions or fire.

Phairoj said the TISI was considering whether it needed to heighten additional regulations to control the import of LPG cylinders, as the use of LPG had proved to be highly costeffective to motorists.

TISI regulations bar the import of LPG cylinders without permission. Phairoj said vehicles installed with cylinders that differ from the capsule shape cannot be registered with the Department of Land Transportation.

Installers of LPG devices are subject to a maximum penalty of three months prison and/or a maximum fine of Bt20,000 if they refuse to enhance safety features to cylinders they import without permission when ordered by the TISI officials, or fail to destroy them when ordered.

Those who disallow inspection of LPG cylinders by TISI officials on their premises are subject to the same penalties. Members of the public are welcome to notify the TISI of any violations by LPG device installers or report any safety suspicion at 02 2023482.

The Nation