With VIPs inbound, Pattaya fixes long-broken traffic lights

[Rimmer]

With VIPs inbound, Pattaya fixes long-broken traffic lights

PATTAYA:-- In another attempt to bring Pattaya up to world standards before the international fleet show, city hall finally has decided to fix dozens of broken pedestrian-crossing signals and do something to make drivers stop.

 

The 42 useless lights – 17 on Beach Road, 12 on Second and Naklua roads and 13 others between North Road and Jomtien Beach – are among the city’s biggest laughing stocks.

 

Launched Nov. 1, 2010, the 29-million-baht pet project of former Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome was billed as a way to improve safety for tourists and bring order to Pattaya’s crazy streets. Almost immediately, however, the signals – some separated by as few as 50 meters – were ridiculed and all but ignored by drivers who simply blew through red lights.

 

Among those ignoring the stop sign were Pattaya’s police officers, who were even captured on video speeding through zebra crossing as pedestrians tried to cross.

 

Most lights have been dark for years, or inoperable, so that pushing the button for a walk signal did nothing. Pinit claims Pattaya has spent 19 million baht on repairs and maintenance for the Beach Road and three Jomtien Beach Road signals since last year.

 

Read more: http://www.pattayamail.com/news/vips-inbound-pattaya-fixes-long-broken-traffic-lights-191328

 

-- © Copyright Pattaya Mail 2017-11-10

[ezflip]

19 minutes ago, Rimmer said:

...and do something to make drivers stop.

I'm afraid this is the only way it will stops Thai drivers.

Edited November 10, 2017 by ezflip

[PETERTHEEATER]

Tut tut! City Hall needs to upgrade to the 'Smart Crossing' version recently trumpeted outside the Hua Hin market street and Phetchakasem road junction. Solar powered flashing target light. 

[smedly]

the whole of beach road should be pedestrian and move the current one way route system to 2nd and 3rd road

[digbeth]

it wasn't broken, just turned off

[petermik]

7 hours ago, digbeth said:

it wasn't broken, just turned off

Cost saving measure.....the savings on this has enabled city hall to put a deposit down on one of the three submarines the government has ordered......happy days 

[newnative]

   They also did a quick repair on the very bumpy roads by the flyover near Bali Hai pier--guess some of the bigwigs will be arriving by car for the fleet show.  And, slapped some paint on the inside barrier walls of the flyover.  But, left the very dirty outside that also needed painted alone.  Don't look up, bigwigs!

[HHTel]

3 hours ago, PETERTHEEATER said:

Tut tut! City Hall needs to upgrade to the 'Smart Crossing' version recently trumpeted outside the Hua Hin market street and Phetchakasem road junction. Solar powered flashing target light. 

Which so far has been a complete failure!

[ChrisY1]

Last thing wanted is a boat show visitor whacked on a pedestrian crossing.....but unless some form of management is carried out, this will happen!

[Happyman58]

Why should Thai drivers stop at red lights here when they dont at other traffic lights  Brave people will be at danger when they try to cross the road  Think they are safe and wham hit by a car  or bike

[Happyman58]

18 minutes ago, ChrisY1 said:

Last thing wanted is a boat show visitor whacked on a pedestrian crossing.....but unless some form of management is carried out, this will happen!

Yep i agree Chris  Red is just a pretty colour  to some Thai drivers nothing else

[newnative]

21 minutes ago, Happyman58 said:

Why should Thai drivers stop at red lights here when they dont at other traffic lights  Brave people will be at danger when they try to cross the road  Think they are safe and wham hit by a car  or bike

Not brave people--just normal tourists who come from countries where it's expected, and taken for granted, that vehicles stop at red lights.  I think they were originally turned off because there were too many close calls of tourists blithely setting out to cross the crosswalk believing the cars would stop.  Splat.

[Bangkok Barry]

4 hours ago, smedly said:

the whole of beach road should be pedestrian and move the current one way route system to 2nd and 3rd road

I've long thought that, except that Second Road is generally wide enough for two-way traffic.

[JSixpack]

1 hour ago, Happyman58 said:

Why should Thai drivers stop at red lights here when they dont at other traffic lights

1

 

Nonsense.

 

Been seeing more stopping at the pedestrian lights. One problem is that tourists, or perhaps some TVF trolls, will press the buttons as they walk by for fun w/ no intention of crossing the road. Now there's a tendency to slow a bit and check whether anyone's really crossing or not, and if not sail on through. That's if the light isn't ignored. If tourists will go out slowly and wave their arms, that's quite helpful: drivers will stop. I've done that on occasion. However, most don't know to do that, of course. And they shouldn't have to know. Cops will have to show that the lights are serious by punishing drivers who don't stop. Which brings us back to the age-old enforcement issue . . . .

 

 

[newnative]

3 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

I've long thought that, except that Second Road is generally wide enough for two-way traffic.

Plenty wide enough if they got rid of the parking.  Pattaya has reached the point with size where parking needs to be eliminated on the major roads to allow better traffic flow, improved intersections and traffic light functions, and improved sidewalks.

[Ulic]

Obviously Pattaya needs "Big Wigs" to visit on a more regular basis.

[janclaes47]

5 hours ago, ChrisY1 said:

Last thing wanted is a boat show visitor whacked on a pedestrian crossing.

With the lights turned on the chance of this happening is much bigger than with them switched off, because pedestrians now trust on the lights, not knowing that walk straight into a deathtrap.

[wakeupplease]

13 hours ago, Rimmer said:

In another attempt to bring Pattaya up to world standards

Why did you write that I have now gone and wet myself laughing.

[gk10002000]

4 hours ago, newnative said:

Plenty wide enough if they got rid of the parking.  Pattaya has reached the point with size where parking needs to be eliminated on the major roads to allow better traffic flow, improved intersections and traffic light functions, and improved sidewalks.

It certainly has grown massively since my first visit in 2004. I remember when there actually was a slow season traffic wise anyway.  One could walk across the street.  Now, shees! So many cars.  Soi Bukhao is jammed

[Stargeezr]

Build an elevated crossing so people do not have to take their lives in their hands just to cross the road.

 Many of them  crossings in BKK , so why not more in Rich city Pattaya?

Geezer,

[newnative]

4 hours ago, gk10002000 said:

It certainly has grown massively since my first visit in 2004. I remember when there actually was a slow season traffic wise anyway.  One could walk across the street.  Now, shees! So many cars.  Soi Bukhao is jammed

I arrived in 2010.  When I look at Pattaya's skyline today so many of the highrises were not there just 7 years ago--starting with Reflection and all the highrises in the south and ending with The Palm in the north and the large number of highrises that have sprung up in that area.  And everything in between. 

[Keesters]

18 hours ago, smedly said:

the whole of beach road should be pedestrian and move the current one way route system to 2nd and 3rd road

 

With slow moving electric buses going in both directions. Something like the one used at Tukcom.

 

 

 

[jb5music]

Did you ever notice about a lot of the traffic lights in general? You sit there mindlessly obediently bubbling like an egg in a skillet and then one day you pick up your head and engage brain actually looking and analyzing. A realization pops in your head... All the cars, all ways, are stacked up as far as you can see. there's absolutely no movement going through the intersection of anykind. If you stare at the center of the intersection it's as if it's been closed off for a disco dance or something. You finally figure out it's some left turn arrow. 2 or 3 cars have long since gone and turned. But it's still sitting there for 19 times as long as it should be and nobodies going anywhere 30 cars back in all four directions for minutes at a time... In the busiest intersections in the center of town. Then you start a sort of personal survey in your head achieving the same results most of the time when sitting staring at the middle of intersections during a red light. Then you notice lights are red most of the time when you get there. You never just get to a green light and don't stop. hmmmm?. Then there's an occasional light off for a power outage. No ones sitting in any direction. Somehow you drive right through the giant intersection about 15 kilometers per hour with no problem but  wondering how traffic could even keep going or not crash.

[mok199]

we have morning coffee across from a light on beach rd/ freeway,i must admit 90% of the drivers now stop and or at least acknowledge the lights,compared to last year at this time when it was 0....small steps