Kata Karon One-Way System?

[madmitch]

Anyone heard any rumours or real information about this? I've heard that Taina Road and the road at the south end of Karon (where the Orchid is) might become one way. Possibly the beach road between Kata and Karon as well. Totally unsubstantiated though I've heard it from a couple of different sources. 

[sebastion]

Only rumor I heard is that is was to become a closed walking street. That was 3 years ago.

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[hkt83100]

That might become the most stupid idea ever.

[Psimbo]

12 hours ago, hkt83100 said:

That might become the most stupid idea ever.

..... but it's on here now so it must be true! 

[Old Croc]

Don't know about the bigger picture, but I've repeated rumours about Tania becoming one way on several occasions.

Very recently employees at my GF's shop were told just that by some workers who were measuring the road for the provision of a new footpath on the north side. 

[sebastion]

Just tonight I met with Momtri of Villa Royale and ex boat house fame and he is beside himself with what Kata has become.
Europeans are the backbone of Phuket and they have to be won back or you can kiss the place goodbye.
The sell out is nearly complete and when you have Phuket icons of old writing the place off then you know it's in trouble.

Lots of hotels are hitting the market. Not small ones but major ones.
The shift is nearly complete.


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[KarenBravo]

There just isn't enough traffic in Kata - Karon to worry about a one-way system.

[chub]

There is dense, fast-moving traffic along Karon Beach Road making it difficult and dangerous for tourists to cross the road between the hotels and the beach. The bigger hotels have to employ red flag guards to help tourists cross.

There are several pedestrian crossings but drivers ignore them, creating an additional hazard. Uncontrolled parking of tuk-tuks and green plate taxis blocks sight lines so pedestrians and emerging vehicles cannot be seen.

It's an obvious location where the safety and interests of tourists should be considered. 

About 7-8 years ago a light-controlled pedestrian crossing was installed on the beach road south of Karon Circle. It created gaps in the downstream traffic stream  that allowed pedestrians a chance to cross. The lights worked for about six months, for the next two years they lapsed to permanent flashing amber,  then they went dark, and after 5 years rotted away and were removed.  This technology is beyond the local government's ability to maintain.

Another folly - about 20 years ago a pedestrian underpass was built under the northbound exit of Karon Circle. It's still there, open, and has never been used.

The most effective means of improving conditions for tourists on Karon Beach Road would be to require all through traffic between Karon Circle and Kata to use the inland bypass - Patak Road.  Beach Road would be for access only' and 'traffic calming' measures installed on the beach road, including wider footpaths and priority pedestrian crossing places. 

As Old Croc reports, a footpath is currently being constructed along the north side of Tania Road. In the absence of other measures, making the two roads that connect the beach road to Patak Road, alternate one-way will simply speed up traffic, and allow even more taxis and tuk-tuks to park, single and double, as in Patong.

It's very sad that the local authority, dominated by taxi and tuk-tuk interests, has so little understanding of good practice in the management of traffic and pedestrians and so little consideration of the interests of the tourists who provide their income. 

 

[LivinginKata]

1 hour ago, chub said:

<snip>

Another folly - about 20 years ago a pedestrian underpass was built under the northbound exit of Karon Circle. It's still there, open, and has never been used.

 

I never knew that.  I saw them making that construction but I thought it had to do with water drainage as the circle exit into Patak road was always prone to flooding.  

[sebastion]

 
I never knew that.  I saw them making that construction but I thought it had to do with water drainage as the circle exit into Patak road was always prone to flooding.  

People don't use it because it's full of trash and is used as a toilet by the taxi drivers. It stinks of urine.

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[xylophone]

16 hours ago, sebastion said:

Just tonight I met with Momtri of Villa Royale and ex boat house fame and he is beside himself with what Kata has become.
Europeans are the backbone of Phuket and they have to be won back or you can kiss the place goodbye.
The sell out is nearly complete and when you have Phuket icons of old writing the place off then you know it's in trouble.

Lots of hotels are hitting the market. Not small ones but major ones.
The shift is nearly complete.


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Seems like a bit of a mirror image of Patong, Sebastion, but many folk are still saying that the Chinese will be our "saviours"!!

 

And as for traffic........try driving south to north along the new middle road around 5 pm and it is at a standstill, right up to the lights on Phra Baramee. AND high season looms!!

 

Sorry not about Kata/Karon, but it does seem that the same mistakes/lack of planning are prevalent in both areas.

[chub]

Anybody remember this 2012 project by three professors and the students from Technishe Universitat Kaiserslautern and the Faculty of Architecture and Planning at Thammasat University which aimed "to make Kata-Karon liveable".

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Phuket Governor eyes interest in beach town beautification project

Phuket Gazette – Saturday, April 28, 2012 11:32:21 AM

PHUKET: Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha yesterday confirmed that he would follow up on proposals made by an international consortium of urban architects on how to improve the aesthetics of the tourist-popular Kata-Karon beachfront areas.

The news came at a meeting of urban planning academics from Technische Universitat (TU) Kaiserslautern in Germany, headed by Professor Dr Wolfgang Bohm.

His research team has been working in conjunction with a team from the Faculty of Architecture and Planning at Thammasat University in Bangkok on the project titled “The Kata-Karon Project: A model towards future development in Phuket”.

The combined teams identified the seven public areas or “issues of concern” that need attention:

1. Kata View Point

2. Karon Circle and Kata-Karon “city gates”

3. Karon Park

4. Improvement of streets and sidewalks, including road surface, footpath, parking, landscaping, bus stops and rubbish collection

5. Bus station at Kata-Karon Municipality Offices

6. Beach lifeguards

7. Tourist information center

Gov Tri said, “I will look into the development proposals of each project with the committee and we will consider them in the future.”
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That was the last public information on this project. As far as I know, the promised public exhibition of proposals to improve the aesthetics of Kata-Karon never took place. I suspect that any initiatives which upset the 'status quo' or the interests of influential local groups were quietly veto'd.