Phuket tour bus driver charged for underpass pile-up

[snoop1130]

Phuket tour bus driver charged for underpass pile-up

Shela Riva

 

 

PHUKET:-- A tour bus driver has been charged with reckless driving after he caused a four-vehicle pile-up in the southbound lane of Darasamut Underpass in front of Central Festival Phuket this morning (Sept 13).

 

The accident occurred at about 9:15am, causing massive traffic tailbacks southbound along one of the busiest roads on the island.

 

“The bus driver was driving too fast and collided into the back of a black van, which as a result hit the pickup truck in front of it,” Capt Jarat Lempan of the Wichit Police told The Phuket News today.

 

Full Story: https://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-tour-bus-driver-charged-for-underpass-pile-up-63858.php#fE80WV3JpXb8cvPL.97

 

-- © Copyright Phuket News 2017-9-13

[The Old Bull]

Most buses drive too fast as they are under powered and take a long time to get up to speed. Once they are going good they don't want to slow down.

[inThailand]

No brake failure? A gas pedal failure? Or just brain failure?

[IamNoone88]

The world's worst designed underpass, originally with three lanes and no separation, ripe for head on collisions. Now a shonky two lane underpass with concrete barriers. Dreadful, embarrassing and dangerous.

[lvr181]

Another "brake"  brain failure. 

[lvr181]

49 minutes ago, IamNoone88 said:

The world's worst designed underpass, originally with three lanes and no separation, ripe for head on collisions. Now a shonky two lane underpass with concrete barriers. Dreadful, embarrassing and dangerous.

How did u know it was even "designed"?     Maybe it was a school classroom exercise at some time.

 

Just thinking that perhaps the roadway between the barrier and the solid yellow line could be designated for motorcyclists only? Or would that be too difficult for locals to use/understand? 

 

Edited September 14, 2017 by lvr181
Additional comment

[ThaiWai]

7 minutes ago, lvr181 said:

How did u know it was even "designed"?     Maybe it was a school classroom exercise at some time.

 

Just thinking that perhaps the roadway between the barrier and the solid yellow line could be designated for motorcyclists only? Or would that be too difficult for locals to use/understand? 

 

Motorbikes are not allowed in the tunnel at all. 

[madmitch]

Two lane underpasses are common throughout the world. Living in London the traffic news every few days would refer to a broken down vehicle in the Blackwall Tunnel causing a massive tailback.

 

The problem with the Darasamuth Underpass is that with the concrete barriers now in place, there/s no flexibility. Cars already in the Underpass are stuck there, whereas a moveable barrier would at least allow the police to clear the tunnel and make it easier for emergency vehicles. 

 

But since when have emergency vehicles been given a thought when it comes to road design in Thailand? 

[farcanell]

4 hours ago, ThaiWai said:

Motorbikes are not allowed in the tunnel at all. 

True... but that "rule" was made up when it was a three lane suicide tunnel.... now that the concrete barrier has been put in, a bike lane would seem appropriate, with a new "rule" disallowing sidecars contraptions and other creepy crawlers (those vehicles unable to travel at the designated speed limit, or unwilling to do so)

[stevenl]

59 minutes ago, farcanell said:

True... but that "rule" was made up when it was a three lane suicide tunnel.... now that the concrete barrier has been put in, a bike lane would seem appropriate, with a new "rule" disallowing sidecars contraptions and other creepy crawlers (those vehicles unable to travel at the designated speed limit, or unwilling to do so)

No, that rule is applicable to all tunnels. Look at the new Pattaya tunnel and the other tunnel at Tesco.

[George FmplesdaCosteedback]

8 hours ago, stevenl said:

No, that rule is applicable to all tunnels. Look at the new Pattaya tunnel and the other tunnel at Tesco.

Old and outdated rule that should be dumped or reformed.

All it serves as now is a money spinner for the RTP leeches...

 

 

 

[beechbum]

On 14/09/2017 at 10:26 PM, George FmplesdaCosteedback said:

Old and outdated rule that should be dumped or reformed.

All it serves as now is a money spinner for the RTP leeches...

 

 

 

How is it a money spinner?

[the guest]

An underpass which has completely zero value for the traffic in Phuket, well done !

[tomwct]

Time to bring in foreign bus drivers with experience and proper licenses.

[lvr181]

26 minutes ago, tomwct said:

Time to bring in foreign bus drivers with experience and proper licenses.

You have a great sense of humour. 

[stevenl]

1 hour ago, the guest said:

An underpass which has completely zero value for the traffic in Phuket, well done !

Don't agree. Traffic North-south and even more so south-north moves a lot faster now. Even during rush hour it is faster now than before.

[George FmplesdaCosteedback]

12 hours ago, beechbum said:

How is it a money spinner?

If you don't know the answer to that you don't live here...

 

[inThailand]

Once again Thai idiots at work. Driving and tunnel design!

[stevenl]

3 hours ago, George FmplesdaCosteedback said:

If you don't know the answer to that you don't live here...

 

Nonsense.

[electric]

No need to get all excited guys. It's just a little rear-ender. The sort we see every day in normal congested traffic anywhere.

 

The only reason this made the news was because it was inside a tunnel and involved a coach. Good headline material. If it had been on an expressway somewhere with 4 cars, nobody would've cared less.

 

I suggest this incident was a very low speed crash. Doesn't take much for a 20 tonne coach to shunt 2 cars in front. He could do that at 15 kmph. Sure, the driver was not paying attention, and he'll be in trouble for "reckless" driving.

 

Interestingly, no mention of a reckless driving charge for the pickup driver travelling behind the coach, who also cleverly managed to join the fun, and run into the arse of the stationary bus, making it a 4 vehicle "pile up".

 

Ho hum. Nothing story.

 

The layout of the tunnel has nothing to do with this piddly little accident.

 

[Old Croc]

The design of this tunnel with three lanes and no separation of oncoming traffic was idiotic from day one.

The biggest surprise to doomsayers, like myself, was that the predicted horrendous head on crash never quite eventuated. There were many close calls, I experienced a couple myself.  I remember the first accident inside the underpass involved an old fellow on a 3 wheeler who decided it was a good idea to stop to collect recyclables (rubbish) and then U-turn in front of a truck. Bikes are banned from all underpasses here for good reason.

The authorities, having finally recognized the inherent dangers of the layout, have now closed the middle lane and inserted barriers. A pity they didn't think to repaint the lines to make small breakdown lanes on the left sides.

As someone else pointed out, this incident was just a (normal) inattentive driver shunting slower traffic from behind. Happens everywhere.

The tunnels have greatly improved traffic flow through these two neighboring intersections. Now if they could just do something to improve the mess at the next intersection to the south the journey would be even more free flowing.

[beechbum]

6 hours ago, George FmplesdaCosteedback said:

If you don't know the answer to that you don't live here...

 

I do and if you think the BIB give a FF about motorbikes going through the underpass then your deluded in a big way.

[LivinginKata]

2 hours ago, beechbum said:

I do and if you think the BIB give a FF about motorbikes going through the underpass then your deluded in a big way.

 

Just part of the 'never mind' Thai mentality ... BiB busy elsewhere taking fines from tourists.

[Old Croc]

On ‎9‎/‎16‎/‎2017 at 10:02 PM, LivinginKata said:

On ‎9‎/‎16‎/‎2017 at 7:46 PM, beechbum said:

I do and if you think the BIB give a FF about motorbikes going through the underpass then your deluded in a big way.

 

Just part of the 'never mind' Thai mentality ... BiB busy elsewhere taking fines from tourists.

They're enforcing it in Pattaya

https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1001139-motorcyclists-fined-1000-baht-for-using-tunnel/

 

[George FmplesdaCosteedback]

20 hours ago, stevenl said:

Nonsense.

 

23 hours ago, George FmplesdaCosteedback said:

If you don't know the answer to that you don't live here...

 

 

3 hours ago, Old Croc said:

They're enforcing it in Pattaya

https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1001139-motorcyclists-fined-1000-baht-for-using-tunnel/

 

 

17 hours ago, beechbum said:

I do and if you think the BIB give a FF about motorbikes going through the underpass then your deluded in a big way.

You know nothing. I am not deluded.

[fiddlehead]

On 9/16/2017 at 7:02 PM, the guest said:

An underpass which has completely zero value for the traffic in Phuket, well done !

I take it that you weren't here before the tunnels were built. 
As much as we like to complain about how long it takes to build a tunnel here, I believe they do much to keep the traffic moving.  Especially northbound.

[beechbum]

1 hour ago, George FmplesdaCosteedback said:

 

 

 

You know nothing. I am not deluded.

How many motorbikes have you seen pulled over and charged for riding through a Phuket underpass?

[beechbum]

4 hours ago, Old Croc said:

They're enforcing it in Pattaya

https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1001139-motorcyclists-fined-1000-baht-for-using-tunnel/

 

Oh ok then they're obviously going to do the same here....

[George FmplesdaCosteedback]

9 minutes ago, beechbum said:

How many motorbikes have you seen pulled over and charged for riding through a Phuket underpass?

When I lived in Patong 25 years ago there wasn't a tunnel.

I do know that the RTP are basically a bunch of thieves after many, many years of driving cars and riding motorbikes here.

 

[beechbum]

3 minutes ago, George FmplesdaCosteedback said:

When I lived in Patong 25 years ago there wasn't a tunnel.

I do know that the RTP are basically a bunch of thieves after many, many years of driving cars and riding motorbikes here.

 

When i lived in Patong there was no tunnel either what's that got to do with anything?

In Fact going by your above statement not only was there no tunnel, there was no you either.