Outer Ring Road Goes One-way

[george]

Outer Ring Road Goes One-Way

BANGKOK: -- The Bangkok Post announced that the Department of Transport has finalized a plan to ease congestion on the Outer Ring Road, the circular highway surrounding Bangkok. The capacity of the road would be doubled by making the traffic on both carriageways travel in the same direction.

On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays the traffic would travel clockwise; while on Tuesdays and Thursdays it would travel counter-clockwise. The plan would not operate on weekends. It was said that the scheme was almost certain to meet with the cabinet's approval, despite voices of protest coming from some quarters.

One of the protestors included a spokesman for Thailand's People Power Party (PPP) who warned that "Many drivers already have trouble telling their left from their right."

Also, a resident of Bang Na, Chatchalerm Somseeda was quoted as saying, "Villagers use the motorway to make shopping trips to Bangkok. On some days this will be a journey of three kilometers, and on others a journey of 80 kilometers. The plan is flawed."

DOT plans to implement the change on 28 April, 2008

--Agencies 2008-04-01

[KhaoNiaw]

[Supaporn]

Allowances will be made to go the opposite direction on any given day provided the vehicle is operated in Reverse to avoid confusing other drivers.

[clausewitz]

forget it

Edited April 1, 2008 by clausewitz

[jayjayjayjay]

Trucks should be allow to go one direction with cars and motorbikes the other. It is a proven fact that size matters! By separating catagories of vehicles, less congestion will result with 10 wheel trucks going clockwise and car/motorbikes going anticlockwise on the same roads. It's like shaking a bucket of rocks, all the big ones will quickly float to the top.

[stiggy]

nice one

I told the wife that a yellow banded snake was eating her beloved Ratdog this morning.

broke the shower as she rushed out naked to rescue it.

[funfun]

Now that is Funny!!! they ought to put cctv up along the route and televise it at tea time!!!!

[Big A]

........On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays the traffic would travel clockwise; while on Tuesdays and Thursdays it would travel counter-clockwise. The plan would not operate on weekends...........

........"Many drivers already have trouble telling their left from their right." .............

Now, THIS is gonna be entertaining.

[chatette]

I also heard that Cabinet will approve bicycles, roller bladers and skateborders using the ring road, too, altho they'll have to travel in the opposite direction from the cars or face fines of 300,000 baht.

[waveydavey]

Reminds me of a few years ago when I went to Cambodia for the first time. In a guidebook it said 'Cambodians officially drive on the right but some people prefer to drive on the left' - the thing is, they weren't joking

[stumonster]

with the Coriolis effect this could probably cause the earth to tilt on its axis - think of the children

[quiksilva]

What happens at midnight?

[Khun Jean]

"On some days this will be a journey of three kilometers, and on others a journey of 80 kilometers. The plan is flawed."

I think this is not good reasoning, as happens many times in this country.

He should think about the trafic jams and how slow vehicles move, sometimes walking is faster.

For that reason alone it should not be measured in distance but in TIME. The 3 kilometer on some days can take over more than 2 hours, whereas 80 kilometrs driving at a good speed can be done in about 40-50 minutes.

I think this is the best plan sofar for solving the constant traffic jams.

Unfortunately this will have to be enforced, and that is where this plan as many others fail.

Transport minister Gablotchacha and his colleage Gablotlewlew are still not ready with this plan as there experiences on the ring road differ quite a lot.

[Scott]

So, lets see, who is going to coordinate this? Who will close the exits and redirect the traffic? Any little cock-up could cause a big pile up.

Mai Pen Rai!

[Cuban]

> What happens at midnight?

Should be midday - but that is difficult with these time zone things.

[jayjayjayjay]

I think you nailed a few George, cheers, JayjAy

[donmeurett]

April 1st is april fools days even in Thailand

Outer Ring Road Goes One-Way

BANGKOK: -- The Bangkok Post announced that the Department of Transport has finalized a plan to ease congestion on the Outer Ring Road, the circular highway surrounding Bangkok. The capacity of the road would be doubled by making the traffic on both carriageways travel in the same direction.

On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays the traffic would travel clockwise; while on Tuesdays and Thursdays it would travel counter-clockwise. The plan would not operate on weekends. It was said that the scheme was almost certain to meet with the cabinet's approval, despite voices of protest coming from some quarters.

One of the protestors included a spokesman for Thailand's People Power Party (PPP) who warned that "Many drivers already have trouble telling their left from their right."

Also, a resident of Bang Na, Chatchalerm Somseeda was quoted as saying, "Villagers use the motorway to make shopping trips to Bangkok. On some days this will be a journey of three kilometers, and on others a journey of 80 kilometers. The plan is flawed."

DOT plans to implement the change on 28 April, 2008

--Agencies 2008-04-01

[suegha]

Classic!

[tartempion]

Reminds me of sergeant Mobuto Sese Seko (real name Joseph-Désiré Mobutu), president of Zaire 1965-1977, ex-Belgian Congo, who disliked the Belgians that much that he decided that cars should no longer drive on the right hand side. So he decreed that as of April 1st 1970 trucks should drive on the left. Cars would follow one week later . The rest is history.

[Big A]

........On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays the traffic would travel clockwise; while on Tuesdays and Thursdays it would travel counter-clockwise. The plan would not operate on weekends...........

........"Many drivers already have trouble telling their left from their right." .............

Now, THIS is gonna be entertaining.

Actually, when I said the above, I was thinking of being entertained by the amount of people who would fall for this!! I didn't believe it myself!!

Ahem.

I think I'll slink off, now.

[bonobo]

I had a good laugh at this one.

But I really was in Okinawa in July of 1978 the night they switched driving on the right and moved to the left. All roads were closed for about 2 hours that night while the police and road crews uncovered the signs facing the new direction that had previously been put up and covered the signs which had been in use for years. THey stationed cops on pretty much every intersection, then the games began.

As far as I know, there were not fatalities, but it was pretty hectic and rather funny for hte next several days.

Then again, I live on Kallaprapruk Road with almost 4 km between U-turns, and motorcycles and even cars frequently drive the wrong way, so maybe the Thais would take the ring road going one way in stride!

[hansnl]

What happens at midnight?

Ahhhhhhh

I guess it will be the same as in Sweden when the traffic in this country went from driving on the left to driving on the right!

At midnight all traffic came to a standstill, 5 minutes after midnight all vehicles drove to the other side of the road in a disciplined and orderly manner, and 15 minutes after midnight the traffic started again, in a disciplined and orderly manner.

Imagine this in Thailand?

And that 5 times per week?

21 0r 22 times per month

260 times per year?

Highly amusing.

It will certainly bring in a lot of tourists whom will gladly pay huge amounts of money and teafunds to be able to observe these wonderfully entertaining exercises.

It must be a april fools day joke!

On the other hand, T.I.T.