Majority in poll don’t believe Thai govt can solve traffic problem

[webfact]

Majority in poll don’t believe government can solve traffic problem

 

 

Over 53 percent of the respondents in an opinion survey conducted by Suan Dusit Poll do not believe that the police proposal to steeply increase fines and imprisonment on drivers without  driving licenses will not solve traffic problem.

 

They say the police proposal doesn’t address the root cause of the problem and blame the chronic traffic jam on lack of discipline and carelessness of drivers, poor public transport service that forced people to resort to private cars.

 

The police proposal calls for a five-fold increase of fine for drivers without driving license or who do not carry driving license while driving to a maximum of 50,000 baht, and an imprisonment of up to  three months instead of just one month as it is now.

 

Full story: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/majority-in-poll-dont-believe-government-can-solve-traffic-problem/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2018-08-27

 

 

[ezzra]

And i concur, the issue is not only with driver's discipline, with many more new cars on the roads and not enough new roads built to contain the influx compounded by the pressure of modern life and wealth affording people to go places and the need to hurry up to go there, this traffic situation will not only remain wbut most likely get worse...

[z42]

Well when the majority choose to follow their own rules and whims as standard practice, and while quite an unhealthy amount of others choose to drive like the criminally insane at all times, then it doesn't matter what measures you put in because it is going to be the same highly inefficient, highly corruptible police on the frontline overseeing it all.

The general public are right with their assertions. The enforcement and legal steps at all levels simply aren't robust enough for standard practice to vastly so soon.. Would take years, and even then the psyche of the enforcers won't change too much from now

[sirineou]

What other government in the world has soIver the traffic problem in large metropolitan areas? 

       one can only hope to reduce some of the associated problems. 

In the US there used to be a big problem with drunken driving. A combination of awareness, demonisation of the condition (no longer the lovable drunk) ,  heavy fines and prosecution,have greatly reduced the problem  ,

   but if has not solved the "Traffic problem" because the traffic problem has many components some of which are outside the government's ability to deal with.

[stanleycoin]

At the front of every traffic jam you will find

a selfish Thai driver that has caused it.

Me first , Get out the way. and so on

or a police man playing with the traffic light timing.

 

Ps Bikes rule in Thailand now.  cars, and trucks.

only when it's absolutely necessary to use them. 

just not enough hours in a day to bother any more

sitting in traffic.

.

[mikebell]

Does the poll mean 47% do believe this Government can solve this problem?  No wonder talking frogs/soothsayers and monks influence major decisions here.

[YetAnother]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

blame the chronic traffic jam on lack of discipline and carelessness of drivers,

well well well, they got it right

[Cadbury]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Majority in poll don’t believe government can solve traffic problem

Or written another way.
"Majority in poll don't believe PM Prayut can solve traffic problems despit what he promises"

[colinneil]

Something that will help ease traffic congestion a bit, stop this bloody nonsense of the so-called elite driving around in huge motorcades, with the police blocking roads causing chaos.

What is the need of these stupid motorcades, when only 1 person is traveling?

[ChrisY1]

No government anywhere could solve Bangkok traffic!.....

The need to bulldoze buildings for wider roadways, would never happen.

Bangkok should never have entered the automobile era and should have stayed with buffalo carts and bicycles!

[yellowboat]

It is a city full of dead ends.  Many soi's lead to nowhere.  The reality is too many cars and not enough road.  My Thai friends, when they get a new job, they move closer to it.  My neighbor who was Thai worked near Khaosan Road, but lived in Haui Kwan.  It would take 5 hours round trip.  She did not know the Klong boat ends up there.  Taking the Klong boat was an hour each way.  

[thailand49]

1 hour ago, sirineou said:

What other government in the world has soIver the traffic problem in large metropolitan areas? 

       one can only hope to reduce some of the associated problems. 

In the US there used to be a big problem with drunken driving. A combination of awareness, demonisation of the condition (no longer the lovable drunk) ,  heavy fines and prosecution,have greatly reduced the problem  ,

   but if has not solved the "Traffic problem" because the traffic problem has many components some of which are outside the government's ability to deal with.

I agree, but the traffic problem will never be solved the goal is to reduce as you noted and once drivers are properly educated a major component is putting " Doubt " that is the greatest enforcement available no country even the U.S. has the ability to put an officer on every corner. 

You are also correct traffic problems has many components but it is possible for the government ability to deal with the problem and that is get educated themselves which they aren't the government particularly the head and toe of the Transport department comes from the same system they are trying to suggest and fix a problem they themselves come from and they  execute incorrectly.  Enable to suggest and fix the problem you must be educated with alternatives plus the Transport Department has no power to execute outside their office!

Bangkok and Cities like Pattaya are basically swamps illegal building and no real master plan each project is like a band-aid approach you would have to apply a massive Imminent Domain seizure of property to start which will never happen.

Then you have a traffic control system that is 70 years behind times using untrained officers instead of allowing a computer system to track and provide the solution. The system breeds inpatients in the driver to take chances.

The current system is every suggestion is just them going around a 360 circle and when they come back to the starting point the same problem is there waiting.

[Hayduke]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Majority in poll don’t believe government can solve traffic problem

 

Nonsense. The Exalted One has decreed all traffic difficulties will be solved in three months. Only traitorous malcontents could possibly doubt his word.

[thailand49]

24 minutes ago, ChrisY1 said:

No government anywhere could solve Bangkok traffic!.....

The need to bulldoze buildings for wider roadways, would never happen.

Bangkok should never have entered the automobile era and should have stayed with buffalo carts and bicycles!

So true but even then you would have buffalo shit everywhere and everyone still running through the intersection because the buffalo cart drivers feel they are bigger and the bicycles have no business or right to be on the road so they slap the ass of the buffalo to speed up and run them down.?

[jingjai9]

In  a nutshell. A big stride forward for this traffic problem is consistent enforcement of traffic laws. Many problems are caused by cars being double parked so lanes meant for passing cars cannot be used. Also, cars parked near intersections where curbs are cleared painted red and white impede moving traffic.

 

I think one simple issue has to be changed. People do not like to walk, especially in the rain and heat. However, there are too many cars now. You cannot park close to your destination legally - YOU WILL HAVE TO WALK. The only way this issue can be solved is through consistent, objective enforcement of laws. 

 

I believe the police think in their minds that they themselves would park close to the store too, so when they see people do this, they ignore it. At one time that may have been all right, but things have changed.

[overherebc]

One of the main problems is the blocking of crossroads between T light changes. 3 crossroads within 500 metres and people get themselves stuck between the lights and the block just spreads out from there. If you enter when your exit isn't clear and get stuck then all the cops have to do is walk out and give you a ticket. If the ticket(s) isn't paid just add it to your road tax.

Ask any Thai driver what the yellow hatch lines on a crossroad mean and you'll get a blank look.

[AhFarangJa]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Over 53 percent of the respondents in an opinion survey conducted by Suan Dusit Poll do not believe that the police proposal to steeply increase fines and imprisonment on drivers without  driving licenses will not solve traffic problem.

So does that mean they DO believe it will solve the problem......?

[Cadbury]

New car domestic sales for Thailand Jan- Jun 2018 was 571,000 a growth of 20%. Total sales for the year are expected to reach 1,000,000.

Which represents 1 new car this year for every 70 people (man woman and child).

Therein lies much of the problem. 

https://www.marklines.com/en/statistics/flash_sales/salesfig_thailand_2018

[Eric Loh]

Bangkok traffic problem is dire and only tough measures can made any meaningful changes. The authority should look into the China model of odd and even licence plates banned on alternate days. Draconian methods need to be employed to change driver behavior to drive into the city for simple chores and single driver. Moving the schools and government offices to the suburb like in Singapore. The government will have to build more fringe carparks near to mass transport system, improve public transportation and expedite the train projects. Yes, it is a tall order but nothing short of draconian methods will solve the traffic problem which will only be worse in the future as the city landscape will not change and more cars. 

[Misterwhisper]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Majority in poll don’t believe government can solve traffic problem

Hmmm... I wonder whether that is the same majority that frequently drives without a license and routinely flaunts each and every traffic law that exists. 

[NextStationBangkok]

So, so many are driving without a legally obtained license ?

 

Scary......?

[Sydebolle]

Yaaaaaawwwwwwnnnnnn .......

Every government referred to their goal of solving the insolvable. Apart from an extremely tight road grid combined with all those parents believing that private schools will teach their kids better and adding to the mess twice a day it has to do with:
1) discipline and law enforcement and

2) convenient public transport

Both is and will be a No-No for the foreseeable future - go figure! 

Next please! 

[AlQaholic]

Over the years, when stopped by the police, only once was I asked for the driver license. I just wonder how many Thai people can pass that stupid and ridiculously easy test for obtaining a Thai drivers license?

[MichaelJohn]

No, the fines will not solve the traffic problem that's obvious for anyone to see.

BUT, the fines may make the roads a safer place.

Only attitude adjustment; lane discipline, patience, etc will improve the traffic. As stanleycoin said; most problems are caused by one selfish individual with no regard to fellow road users.

[Dave67]

And here we go again round and round ad infinitum. Although the TV traffic control experts have endeavored for several years to resolve this issue. there has been no positive outcome. Apparently, this issue goes back to pre-internet days

[Get Real]

Nice with a dose of true news headline for a change.

[Ceruhe]

While it won't fix the problem in Bangkok per se....not manning the traffic lights would fix it in the rest of the country already for the most part. I swear to god if they aren't deliberately causing traffic I don't know what they do.

[Autonuaq]

The trafic ham and trafic problem are not only caused by the drivers.

also by lack of planning

 

When you build you also habe to look at the raods and peik traffic.

 

In thr area i lived before they added to the same smaal road 4 condominium buildings. Each with about 100 units. That makes minimal 400 extra cars of owners on the same small road. Beside that other traffic the comes with a condominium

 

And then wonder that there is trafic jam.

Planning

Drving 

Public transportation

 

In many cities most people do not own a car brcaude of thr lack of parking and trafic jams.

Use bike, or public transportaion.

And those who have a car are still in trafic jam over taken by the once on public transportation or on bike

[hotchilli]

The only thing that will get Thai drivers off the road is to "price them off" the road

hitting the pockets will make the single occupant drivers think about other options of travel to work on a daily basis!

But to do that you must offer an alternative mixed mass transit system which is affordable, on-time, fast & safe to use

with pick-up & drop-off stops at all the convenient locations!

Out of town parking must be set-up with links into the city for commuters, then city dwelling residents must be charged if they use their cars within the city centre!

Delivery trucks etc can only enter the city at night ie... after 7 pm and must be vacated by 6 am

Yes it will take planning, yes it will take building infrastructure, yes it will take time but it can be done as we see from international cities that have gone down that route..

but all that is lacking here so just get used to the rush-hour without the rush!!

[toofarnorth]

2 hours ago, thailand49 said:

So true but even then you would have buffalo shit everywhere and everyone still running through the intersection because the buffalo cart drivers feel they are bigger and the bicycles have no business or right to be on the road so they slap the ass of the buffalo to speed up and run them down.?

Brings to mind the buffalo theory.   Up here in woop woop , 20 years ago there were no cars , only way back from the ricefield was on the buffalo cart.  The driver slept and the buffalo took charge , On going round a bend in the road it would meet another buffalo cart , the beasts would look at each other and pass.  Then Somchai bought a motocy.  He comes home refreshed from a bottle of laokao , same corner and hits another one coming home t'other way.    Drunks with buffalo ok , drunks with motocy ...mai pen rai .