Phuket About-turn: Patong One-way To Be Reversed

[george]

Phuket about-turn: Patong one-way to be reversed

Drivers must switch lanes on Phuket's Bangla Road

PATONG, PHUKET: -- There could be a turnaround in Patong’s traffic woes by the year’s end. Mayor Pian Keesin has announced plans to redirect the one-way system in Phuket’s tourist epicenter from clockwise to anticlockwise.

Newly appointed Kathu Police Superintendent Arayapan Pukbuakao said earlier this month that the current system, which came into effect in 2007, “not only confuses people but is in violation of current Thai traffic laws.”

Traffic flows southbound on Rat-U-Thit 200 Pi Road and northbound along the beach road. Under the new system, this would be reversed.

It is not yet clear how traffic flow will change on connecting roads between Rat-U-Thit 200 Pi Road and the beach road, such as Sawatdirak, Bangla and Ruamjai.

At present, motorists drive on the right-hand side on those roads and not the left-hand lane as is standard in Thailand.

Mayor Pian also said the recent completion of Phang Muang Sai Gor Road behind Jungceylon will enable the planned one-way system to run more smoothly.

“The road will be developed as a new business route in the near future and will also become part of the solution to Patong’s traffic problems,” he said.

Additional plans are in motion to move taxi, motorcycle taxi, rental car and tuk-tuk parking to the side of Phang Muang Sai Gor Rd, Mayor Pian added.

“This will allow for more public parking space on the beach road for tourists and local residents,” he said.

Mayor Pian said a meeting with Phuket Land Transport Office, to be held “soon”, would be the next step in moving Patong’s transport plans forward.

-- Phuket Gazette 2010-03-16

[newsfooter][/newsfooter]

[binky]

Hmmmm, so I'll be able to drive straight from the beach to Soi Eric, cool!!

[Jimi007]

Driving on the right is very confusing? Is it really that difficult? Who care's? I can go around either way! But change it after three years because there is a new police superintendent in town? Hmm, really?

[ding]

Breaking: Department of Redundancy Dept. announces 'Up is the new down'... again.

Good to see things turning back to normal.

[silk]

Breaking: Department of Redundancy Dept. announces 'Up is the new down'... again.

Good to see things turning back to normal.

I agree, it is logic. At this monemt driving along the beach road, the beach is on the left side. Nobody can turn left.

If they change to opposite, beach is on the right side, everybody can turn left, without abusing the traffic law.

Hopefully they will think carefully about the roads between Rath Uthit and Beach Road. It shpould be logical to left side drivers.

[d0om4gloom]

Breaking: Department of Redundancy Dept. announces 'Up is the new down'... again.

Good to see things turning back to normal.

I agree, it is logic. At this monemt driving along the beach road, the beach is on the left side. Nobody can turn left.

If they change to opposite, beach is on the right side, everybody can turn left, without abusing the traffic law.

Hopefully they will think carefully about the roads between Rath Uthit and Beach Road. It shpould be logical to left side drivers.

Your logic is even worse then theirs !

[shawndoc]

Forget direction of travel. Why not add some cross walks with stoplights so pedestrians can safely cross the street?

[tw25rw]

Forget direction of travel. Why not add some cross walks with stoplights so pedestrians can safely cross the street?

I came here to say the same thing. Do they exist in Thailand? I mean the ones where you press the button, not the ones where the cars have to stop anyway. I can think of so many places where they would be suitable.

[LuckyLew]

The plot has been lost once again by Thai officials!!!

Change the direction people drive does not increase

traffic spots, reducing taxis and rental cars does.

[geriatrickid]

Forget direction of travel. Why not add some cross walks with stoplights so pedestrians can safely cross the street?

Sorry, but that would require spending money on something useful and acting with the best interests of the visitors.

Yes, you're 100% right, but, welcome to Patong, the town where logic and responsible municipal planning does not exist.

For those that do not know the location in the photo, it is pointed directly at the police post where a local BiB will often stand outside handing out tickets to farangs and Thais riding with farangs. In 4 years of walking by at all hours of the day, and in some of the busiest tourist periods, I have never once seen the local traffic cop stop traffic to let people cross the street.

[bhoydy]

Who cares? Next.

[hunglikea]

They will still carry on driving on whichever side of the road anyway! Usually the wrong side.

[makavelithedon]

Who cares? Next.

Exactly Bhoydy.

Do any of the proposals made by corrupt morons (I know of quite a few police who have shares in Tuk Tuks) and they were the loudest negative protesters of this scheme originally, deserve or warrant an intelligent response?

Edited March 18, 2010 by makavelithedon

[ALFREDO]

The system that is used now is working, no real reason to change it.

[WarpSpeed]

It's good to see, it is more logical then the old plan and over due though the driving on the CORRECT side previously was never confusing to me.. But to address the walk way issue why don't they propose to the various alcohol manufacturers and other product manufacturers to contract for walk over bridges in exchange for a contracted number years of direct advertising... a series of walk over bridges would be a nice idea all around since they could also provide a quick refuge for beach goers in the case of the next possible tsunami..

[shawndoc]

According to a site that shall not be mentioned, the head of the Patong tuktuk/taxi drivers has been lobbying to remove the sidewalk along beach road to make more room for parking.

[mazeltov]

Who cares? Next.

Exactly Bhoydy.

i thought the same, but after reading your comments i started to feel sympathy for this ignored underdog topic.

the headline looks also pretty pale compared with the other threads.

Bloody, Violent, Adolf Hinkel, Global Warming, Assassination, Nuclear Power, Fallout, Class war, Red Shirts, Burning Farms, Australian Tourist, Tom Jones In Concert, Collapse ...

sounds all pretty scary, but that is the way to get attention. i am bored and it is almost friday and here is my idea for an other headline:

Phuket Will Change: Radical Left Turn To Tackle Patong's Woes

Current Situation Violates Thai Law Says New Appointed Police Superintendent

[evets]

Hi

No doubt when they reverse the One-way traffic this will probably give the Tuk Tuk drivers another excuse to raise there fares once again.

They will be the death of Patong, someone told me there are around 1200 Tuk Tuk licences and they are still issueing more every month.

[KarenBravo]

A month later and nothing has changed. Dark, influentual figure?

[grandpops]

The system that is used now is working, no real reason to change it.

You sir are right! All the other turkeys who scoff at the current system have missed this.

Traffic coming in from Karon, will now have to cross the traffic coming out lane outside Anchalee hotel (juction of Song Roi Pee) This will need traffic lights as the outflow traffic coming from the beach will have to be stopped as well.

The traffic coming out of Song Roi Pee at the Phra Baramee end will have to cross in incoming traffic. IE incoming traffic will have to go straigh ahead to the beach whilst outflow is trying to turn right accross it.

That is at least two new sets of lights they will need. It's true...

If they try it, it will fail.

Edited April 17, 2010 by grandpops

[Honolulu]

Changing the direction of flow on the beach road is a non issue. Typical politician spending time and money talking about changing something that isn't going to benefit anyone. It took them 6 months just to get the new traffic lights working in the 3rd road.

If you really want to change something for the better, raise the license fee on tuk-tuks, to limit their number, and fix the sewers so the whole place doesn't stink so bad.