Chiang Mai public transport van drivers petition against GPS speed detectors, for higher speed limit

[chang1]

32 minutes ago, TMNH said:

In other words, can I infer that like other countries, citizens who drive should be negligent if they break "laws"? Trouble is that those standard laws (if in fact a law) are constantly violated and thus contribute to injury and death.  When Thai authorities deem a human life as important, then and only then will things change. Until then, get your shit together and strive to become a non-third world country.

The main problem is the RTP not enforcing the laws efficiently. The reason this gps based system is working, is that it bypasses the RTP. Drivers are constantly monitored and appear to be less likely to get away with just a token payment. It is a big step forward that first world countries so far have not dared to try. If this came to the UK I would have sympathy for the drivers, as it is impossible to keep to the speed limit all the time, especially when overtaking. 

As for these reckless drivers - no sympathy at all. I have experienced how bad they can be and only yesterday I was talking to someone who's mate had been killed by one of them. Given the choice of a gentle 5 hour ride or 4 hours of hoping that I survive the next bend, I know which I would choose but does your average Thai value their own life as much?

[TMNH]

43 minutes ago, geisha said:

THese people need shaming publicly.

Normal people feel shame when they contribute to others'  injury, ill -appointed result of their wrong-doing( with no guilt or shame). Logically, if you have no capacity- when a person can not imagine themselves in the same dire situation as another, then how can anyone expect "you" to suddenly feel for your fellow citizens? Those who are homeless...those who have suddenly (like many) run in to a situation of desperation. Forget driving on the death roads of  Thailand...concentrate on your fellow people who are in desperate need of not only help, but love and caring.

[bkkgriz]

14 hours ago, Power of life yoga said:

,” he said, adding that driving at less than 90km/h added to travelling time, and made the drivers exhausted and sleepy due to the longer period that they had to spend behind the wheel.

 

This is the stupidest thing I've heard today 

Give it time. It's not even noon yet. I'm sure someone in authority can top it.

[TMNH]

5 minutes ago, chang1 said:

The main problem is the RTP not enforcing the laws efficiently. The reason this gps based system is working, is that it bypasses the RTP. Drivers are constantly monitored and appear to be less likely to get away with just a token payment. It is a big step forward that first world countries so far have not dared to try. If this came to the UK I would have sympathy for the drivers, as it is impossible to keep to the speed limit all the time, especially when overtaking. 

As for these reckless drivers - no sympathy at all. I have experienced how bad they can be and only yesterday I was talking to someone who's mate had been killed by one of them. Given the choice of a gentle 5 hour ride or 4 hours of hoping that I survive the next bend, I know which I would choose but does your average Thai value their own life as much?

You have got to be kidding me- expecting Thai- yes not any other comparative country to suddenly change enforcement of driving laws and yet you insist that a camera-monitored system lends to any change? Considering that police are susceptible to "payments', your theory goes right out the window:)

[chang1]

4 minutes ago, bkkgriz said:

Give it time. It's not even noon yet. I'm sure someone in authority can top it.

Just waiting for the authorities to give in to their demands.

[chrisinth]

15 hours ago, KhunBENQ said:

We need to overtake on up hill sections with 110 (plus xx bonus)

Since we have GPS monitoring we are fined for speeding

New to them.

I think what they are talking about is overtaking some of the heavy load trucks that you often come across on these roads. Maxed out at 40/50 kph on the uphill sections. Probably need the 100/110 to minimize their time in the wrong lane.

 

If that is the case, I do feel a bit of sympathy for them, I don't think anyone on this forum would sit behind one of these trucks if they were to be honest.

[TMNH]

1 minute ago, chrisinth said:

I think what they are talking about is overtaking some of the heavy load trucks that you often come across on these roads. Maxed out at 40/50 kph on the uphill sections. Probably need the 100/110 to minimize their time in the wrong lane.

 

If that is the case, I do feel a bit of sympathy for them, I don't think anyone on this forum would sit behind one of these trucks if they were to be honest.

What? If ANYONE can not drive a vehicle- passenger or commercial, then figure out why that's so. Logic is a foreign word.

[tandor]

15 hours ago, SammyT said:

Next they're gonna assert their right to still be allowed to pass on blind corners...

...well they're blind to everything else it seems.

[chang1]

3 minutes ago, TMNH said:

You have got to be kidding me- expecting Thai- yes not any other comparative country to suddenly change enforcement of driving laws and yet you insist that a camera-monitored system lends to any change? Considering that police are susceptible to "payments', your theory goes right out the window:)

If you read the OP you would see that it has made a change. Why do you think they are protesting? My "theory" is that it works because it bypasses the police so is not so susceptible to "payments". The question is, how long will Thais want to keep rigorously enforcing the gps based system? That is how to judge if there is a genuine change in attitude to road safety.

[tandor]

they will go 30kmph over whatever the max speed limit at any rate..always pushing the limits.

[digger70]

15 hours ago, Power of life yoga said:

,” he said, adding that driving at less than 90km/h added to travelling time, and made the drivers exhausted and sleepy due to the longer period that they had to spend behind the wheel.

 

This is the stupidest thing I've heard today 

Isn't that why the are on Yaba ALL the time?

[chang1]

9 minutes ago, TMNH said:

What? If ANYONE can not drive a vehicle- passenger or commercial, then figure out why that's so. Logic is a foreign word.

The logic is - it is better to pass a vehicle quickly and stay in danger on the other side of the road for as short a time as possible. The big problem with these vans is they want to pass vehicles even if it is on a blind bend. Limiting their speed will probably cause them to take more risks when overtaking but at least they will be slower.

[Grusa]

46 minutes ago, Ramdas said:

Thai for Thai ???? they will always be biased scratching each other’s back.

I wouldn’t expect any sensible comments from the thai media itself  since they all drive in the same dangerous reckless manner, simply because they don’t know any better and refused to know better having such an insular mind and a bad attitude ????

Thank you for your opinion of what Thai think. But that is not what I hoped for, I wanted a summary of actual comments from actual Thais!

[Formaleins]

Someone needs to petition the land transport department to have those damn idiots that drive those red songtaews around Chiang Mai taken off the roads. If they cleared these incompetent idiots off the roads (most of them are approaching 70 years old) the rest of the traffic would actually be able to "flow" properly. Most of these stupid old ba$tard$ drive at about 10KMH, they pull out on anyone they like, they swap lanes willy nilly, they suddenly will cross three lanes of fast traffic at 10KMH to reach the roadside to tout for walking customers. Most of them are a bunch of scamming old ba$tard$ that try to rip off anyone that isn't a local. They are a menace to ordinary traffic. They double and treble park on some of the busiest intersections causing chaos.

 

Please, when driving in Chiang Mai, do your utmost to block these ba$tards into the left lane wherever possible, and never let them out!

[Bournville]

So much for face saving. They are too stupid to understand their own actions and the implications of such. 

[TMNH]

37 minutes ago, chrisinth said:

I think what they are talking about is overtaking some of the heavy load trucks that you often come across on these roads. Maxed out at 40/50 kph on the uphill sections. Probably need the 100/110 to minimize their time in the wrong lane.

 

If that is the case, I do feel a bit of sympathy for them, I don't think anyone on this forum would sit behind one of these trucks if they were to be honest.

Logistics when people are injured or killed has no reasoning...you either have the capacity to drive "safely" or you  do not. When one has no regard for basic traffic accumen, then these tragic accidents will continue. Until Thais decide that their selfish and abusive violation of the most basic of driving rules has become a threat to others, then prayers, advice, and essentially a "<deleted> it" will not reverse the lack of driving skills nor will it change the local police force (whatever that means) to enforce these violations. You did this or that...payment in my pocket.

[unamazedloso]

whats next? The right to drive naked, drunk, etc.

Absolutely appalling.

Compromise at 100km with gps. Done!

[Sakeopete]

Van driver's should standby their record of good driving. 

[TMNH]

8 minutes ago, Sakeopete said:

Van driver's should standby their record of good driving. 

And what has this to do with the issue at hand?

[TMNH]

9 minutes ago, Sakeopete said:

Van driver's should standby their record of good driving. 

Just a short grammar lesson....no need for an apostrophe...but whatever:)

[Benmart]

"Obey or Pay" in Thai, English and pictographs of vans, buses and lorries/trucks should be posted along the roadways. These infants that speed behind wheel are a danger to themselves and the public.

[chang1]

6 minutes ago, TMNH said:

Logistics when people are injured or killed has no reasoning...you either have the capacity to drive "safely" or you  do not. When one has no regard for basic traffic accumen, then these tragic accidents will continue. Until Thais decide that their selfish and abusive violation of the most basic of driving rules has become a threat to others, then prayers, advice, and essentially a "<deleted> it" will not reverse the lack of driving skills nor will it change the local police force (whatever that means) to enforce these violations. You did this or that...payment in my pocket.

Criticizing is easy, now come up with some viable solutions. The laws generally are OK, enforcement is the problem. Another problem is Thais seem to rush into bringing in new laws without thinking them through. Such as the no riding in the back of pickups law that had to be abandoned because half of Thais get to work in the back of pickups. It should have been phased in slowly, eg. Start by having a maximum of 6 in the back and reduce it by 1 every year. This gives people time to adjust by buying suitable vehicles. 

If the army cannot reform the police no-one can, so methods like cameras and gps that bypass the police are worth a try. The proposed points system is another good step forward if combined with automatic enforcement systems.

[Ctkong]

1 hour ago, TMNH said:

You have got to be kidding me- expecting Thai- yes not any other comparative country to suddenly change enforcement of driving laws and yet you insist that a camera-monitored system lends to any change? Considering that police are susceptible to "payments', your theory goes right out the window:)

Some country uses a speed limiter device to put a cap upon top speed. Non tamperable too. This I think is a better deterrent than GPS. 

[chang1]

28 minutes ago, unamazedloso said:

whats next? The right to drive naked, drunk, etc.

Absolutely appalling.

Compromise at 100km with gps. Done!

No problem with driving naked, although it may be a distraction to other drivers. As most vans go way over 100 your compromise seems fair and can always be lowered if needed in the future. 

Why is it only Chiang Mai drivers who are protesting? If other areas don't have these systems installed then I don't see how the speed limit can be changed just for Chiang Mai or is the 90 km/h limit set locally?

[Vacuum]

16 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

adding that driving at less than 90km/h added to travelling time, and made the drivers exhausted and sleepy due to the longer period that they had to spend behind the wheel.

Absolute rubbish! They'd spend 5-10 minutes extra behind the wheel compared to limiting their speed to 90. Many of these drivers are morons, and should not be allowed to drive these vans.

[chang1]

26 minutes ago, Ctkong said:

Some country uses a speed limiter device to put a cap upon top speed. Non tamperable too. This I think is a better deterrent than GPS. 

Easy to get around by fitting smaller wheels or tyres when limiter is calibrated but combined with gps would be pretty much secure and cover lower limits such as around sharp bends and in towns. Then there needs to be a method of stopping dangerous overtaking by crossing solid lines. Could also be done with gps but not the cheap ones normally in use,  the technology will soon get there though.

[Fortunate1]

They need more regulation not less - totally unprofessional.

[myshem]

Born idiots Die idiots !

[Peterphuket]

4 hours ago, Deli said:

I recommend to tourists to avoid their "services" at any cost.

Ha, ha, Yeh...they better take motobike taxi!

[millymoopoo]

If you've ever been out to Pai for example, or anywhere else with these idiots you will know exactly how they drive. I'm just amazed they quote only 4 times a month (4000bht), more likely 40,000bht.

And is it just 1 fine for over 90kmh, what about 120kmh, 140kmh even 150kmh, happens all the time with these lead foots.

Do the crime, do the time...!