THAILAND’s Transport Minister Chadchart SittipuntMORE said that excess rubber in the country can be used in road construction, following a directive from Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra’s policy to tackle the excess supply of rubber.
Recently, Chadchart ordered the Highways Department to conduct feasibility of using rubber asphalt in road surfacing. This step could also help to increase local demand for rubber, he opines.
AS a pilot project, rubber asphalt is used in a road surface at Nakhon Nayok province.
He said that diverting the rubber for quality roads could increase the amount of rubber used from 1,200 tonnes/year to 10,000 tonnes/year. This could eventually lead to higher market price, he said.