Stop road repairs at New Year - latest brainwave as 16 million prepare for potential carnage

[webfact]

Stop road repairs at New Year - latest brainwave as 16 million prepare for potential carnage

 

Picture: Daily News

 

Meet the brains behind this year's proposals to stop the annual carnage on the Thai roads.

 

They are officials from the Communications Ministry led by chief Arkhom Termpithayaphaisit.

 

They have been talking up their 7-7-7 plan to promote safety and help the public.

 

The numbers relate to the before, during and after periods of seven days starting December 21st and ending January 10th.

 

As usual the devil is in the details and Daily News reported a series of measures.

 

Firstly Arkhom has targeted 61 roads nationwide to concentrate his efforts.

 

These have been chosen based on having the most carnage last year, the greatest death and destruction in the last 1-3 years or just from the fact that lots of tourists use them.

 

The Japanese communications ministry is helping out on 12 of these routes though exactly what they will do was not clear.

 

Arkhom has also ordered all building and repair work at 200 points nationwide to stop from the 28th of December to the 3rd of January. It is hoped that more space will be freed up to help with traffic flow.

 

PTT gas stations are also on board helping with space at their facilities to make the scheme a success.

 

The ministry expects 16 million people to be on the move with many going home up country for the holidays. There will be 141,000 bus journeys and 5,205 trains.

 

Thaivisa notes that unusually in such stories, no one mentioned targets for limiting the death or injury from road accidents.

 

Source: Daily News

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2017-12-05

[Thaiwrath]

18 minutes ago, webfact said:

Arkhom has also ordered all building and repair work at 200 points nationwide to stop from the 28th of December to the 3rd of January. It is hoped that more space will be freed up to help with traffic flow.

 

With ingenious ideas like this, surely these 3 should be running the country ! 

[George Bowman]

[isaanbanhou]

19 minutes ago, webfact said:

Thaivisa notes that unusually in such stories, no one mentioned targets for limiting the death or injury from road accidents.

 

I find that targets and goals just interfere with wishes and dreams.  

[mok199]

driving thai roads is like playing a lottery.. most win but some do not...its that simple and all the good intentions this new dog and pony show proposes, will not change the fact thais refuse to obey any law if they can go around it...

[darksidedog]

They are clearly missing the point that a large chunk of drivers on the roads here have absolutely no clue whatsoever about how to actually drive. Drink driving, driver fatigue, reckless driving and speeding are considered OK by way too many, so don't expect the fatalities to drop significantly, while these issues are not being addressed.

[Bluespunk]

49 minutes ago, webfact said:

The Japanese communications ministry is helping out on 12 of these routes though exactly what they will do was not clear.

Just like their Thai counterparts, then.

[YetAnother]

53 minutes ago, darksidedog said:

They are clearly missing the point that a large chunk of drivers on the roads here have absolutely no clue whatsoever about how to actually drive. Drink driving, driver fatigue, reckless driving and speeding are considered OK by way too many, so don't expect the fatalities to drop significantly, while these issues are not being addressed.

and i believe the roots are cultural; thais have trouble respecting order;

to a typical thai, the only 'good' order is their own personal order; 

such high degrees of self-centeredness preclude acknowledging others on the road

and result in low degrees of safety

[ChrisY1]

1 hour ago, darksidedog said:

They are clearly missing the point that a large chunk of drivers on the roads here have absolutely no clue whatsoever about how to actually drive. Drink driving, driver fatigue, reckless driving and speeding are considered OK by way too many, so don't expect the fatalities to drop significantly, while these issues are not being addressed.

By targeting clueless drivers would be an admission that their licence testing system is a failure....and they sure won't admit that!

[cms22]

2 hours ago, YetAnother said:

and i believe the roots are cultural; thais have trouble respecting order;

to a typical thai, the only 'good' order is their own personal order; 

such high degrees of self-centeredness preclude acknowledging others on the road

and result in low degrees of safety

And, for some reason, a superiority complex. It all adds up to a lethal combination.

[mr_lob]

what? they mean that the usual mob of rent-a-cops in plastic tents playing on their phones aren't having an effect on the road toll?

 

[bubba45]

They should UP road construction as Bangkok proves it’s more difficult to have deadly accidents when the car is not moving. 

[quadperfect]

All this 777 is going to do is fill the road blocks with corrupt cops stoping the tourists for 21 days . More of this crud .

 

[glasswort]

No doubt sites where the road works are to be halted over new year will be adequately coned, protected, barricaded and lit with plenty of prior notification that there is potential danger ahead.

 

Education, education, education, education and even more education!!!!!

[sammieuk1]

Officials from the Communications Ministry this must be a retirement post right ? they must be the ones that think its a great idea to chuck out a few cones in the fast lane with absolutely no advanced warning of workers cutting weeds on the central reservation.

[observer90210]

Better to develop flawless highly efficient, fast, 24/7 public transport grids in the metros and tourist areas, as the local drivers (Thai or sometimes farangs) are far from ready to learn how to drive and be disciplined on Thai roads.

[trianglechoke]

Why can't they turn corners well?

[samsensam]

 

about  year ago i had a discussion with a reasonably high up civil servant in the ministry of transport about the number of accidents caused by van drivers . i put forward the case for enforcement of regulations and laws, effective licensing and repercussions for drivers who break regulations, laws, drive dangerously etc. non of this was seen as necessary as the van drivers 'had been told' to drive more safely. that was it, as far as the civil servant was concerned the problem had been solved.

[wow64]

No goal so they cannot fail they will 100% meet their target I need a job there. 

[Juan B Tong]

Finally a genius idea!

[Jonnapat]

Just wait for the fatal numbers after the rush back to Bangkok, like everyone wanting to be home first.

[XJPSX]

On 11/16/2017 at 10:12 PM, Davekid said:

Essentially rape, then lets not call it forced prostitution as if its ok.

 

6 hours ago, darksidedog said:

They are clearly missing the point that a large chunk of drivers on the roads here have absolutely no clue whatsoever about how to actually drive. Drink driving, driver fatigue, reckless driving and speeding are considered OK by way too many, so don't expect the fatalities to drop significantly, while these issues are not being addressed.

I think they have to stop 12-15 people from sitting in the back of pickups. The police said this was going to be illegal before last Songkran but then people asked how will they get home?...so the Police decided to enforce it after Songkran. Guess what....it never got enforced lol.

 

This country is a complete circus with continual side shows.

 

[Chongalulu]

If this represents a brain wave then they are becalmed.

There is simply no holistic approach or vision on tackling this issue which in addition to the deaths must be economically expensive in terms of loss of earnings,medical bills,lifelong care for the maimed etc.

[metisdead]

A post containing overly derogatory comments toward Thais has been removed. 

[Get Real]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

Arkhom has also ordered all building and repair work at 200 points nationwide to stop from the 28th of December to the 3rd of January. It is hoped that more space will be freed up to help with traffic flow.

Yeah! Great idea. Now all the people that already can´t drive get the possibility to challenge their no existant capabilities to drive where the roads are really broken. 

[The Teacher]

7 hours ago, missoura said:

Nothing like lip stick service from our bright and thoughtful leaders, NO WAY, NO HOW WILL THIS EVER WORK AS THE PICTURE  portrays, little to no mind set ever  

[Cadbury]

1 hour ago, trianglechoke said:

Why can't they turn corners well?

I just love it in a taxi which is fast approaching a tight bend and they try to wash of the speed by jamming on the brakes half way through the bend. It's even more scary when it's raining.

[wealthychef]

7 hours ago, mok199 said:

driving thai roads is like playing a lottery.. most win but some do not...its that simple and all the good intentions this new dog and pony show proposes, will not change the fact thais refuse to obey any law if they can go around it...

 

Please let me buy a ticket in your lottery. 

[wealthychef]

A good start but sadly no mention of police actually enforcing a few traffic laws such as speeding and reckless driving, swerving from side to side, cutting people off, etc etc etc.  Seriously, in a country that can keep you from insulting corporations by law, they can't keep you from driving recklessly?  

[hotchilli]

If that's the best the 3 brains can jointly come up with I'd suggest moving them to an inactive post & employ someone who knows what to do... or

keep them employed & stock up on more body bags for the 7-7-7