About Time Too

[wobblyjohn]

For years I have been saying, if Pattaya wants to attract more tourists it needs to improve the safety for pedestrians

I noticed ramps being built at the kerb and though they would be so motorbikes could get on the pavement easier, but it looks like I was wrong the ramps are for wheelchair access and finally city hall has started to invested in pedestrian crossings around town

On the other hand they could be used for motorbikes trying to cross 3 lanes of speeding traffic

The first I have seen are on 2nd road, in total 4 sets between south Pattaya lights and Mike shopping mall

Ive no idea when or even if they will start working but at least its a step in the right direction

[Rimmer]

Well spotted wobblyjohn Way to go City Hall

[basjke]

There are hundreds of those ramps all over Pattaya city for many years already........most of them with an electric pole of some similar obstacle in the middle of the ramp.

Regarding the traffic lights they probably will never be turned on,most probably they are there for years already also but just didn't notice them,and at best they will be set at flashing amber.

In fact I hope they will never get turned on because they will be for sure one of the biggest deathtraps lying around for people who rely on those lights to cross the street.

[TomBrown]

I briefly mentioned it about three weeks ago on the tail end of the post to do with the possible(?) mono rail in Pattaya;

Talking of developments, albeit on a very much smaller scale, but relate to traffic, it looks like there might be some pedestrian crossing popping up soon as I've noticed in front of the bus station, Tesco Lotus North, and Foodland. Not complete yet, bus sure looks like it.

Will be interesting to see how effective these are. Maybe even has some potential for petty fines on road offenders.

I seem to remember counting quite a few more around Pattaya, but can't remember where. Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be a plan for one at the Dolphin Roundabout end of North Road, which has probably a much higher number of pedestrians crossing the roads than other places that have the construction already in place.

Should be a good thing for the city though.

Now if only they can have the traffic lights at all the main junctions on Sukhumvit into Pattaya City to stay red for all directions for about 30 - 60 seconds, to give pedestrians enough time to cross safely, that would be great.

[Asianrider]

a lot of thai drivers pay little attention to traffic lights, asking them to stop at Pedestrian Crossings could be a big ask !

[eefoo]

Seems to me that someone's brother-in-law has a traffic light firm. Just look at all the redundant ones on the 'railway' road. I reckon that all these ones are going to be exactly the same.

The wheelchair access ramps are the same as well - I'll dig a picture out I took last week just outside Wat Chai and post it on here.

[eefoo]

Now if only they can have the traffic lights at all the main junctions on Sukhumvit into Pattaya City to stay red for all directions for about 30 - 60 seconds, to give pedestrians enough time to cross safely, that would be great.

Watch the traffic and figure out how that would be great. Vehicles waiting against a red light start moving as soon as the opposing traffic lights go red. They're watching the lights of the other traffic stream - not their own!

Given that - the stream that has now had their light go red still continue through for up to 10 seconds, while the stream that is trying to go against their red light (knowing it's going to go green soon) are off and going. No wonder there are so many white lines on the floor at junctions.

Mr. or Mrs. pedestrian doesn't have a chance at such junctions without using common sense.

[LennyW]

Pedestrian crossings are a good idea - BUT, i fear this will cause more injuries and deaths than already, unsuspecting tourists will walk on to the crossings expecting a degree of safety- the Pattaya traffic has little regard for traffic lights and always some dipshit will blatantly drive through bobbing the head and smiling as they do!!!

[Basil B]

Pedestrian crossings are a good idea - BUT, i fear this will cause more injuries and deaths than already, unsuspecting tourists will walk on to the crossings expecting a degree of safety- the Pattaya traffic has little regard for traffic lights and always some dipshit will blatantly drive through bobbing the head and smiling as they do!!!

If the police were to hang around these traffic lights they could make big money...

May be something like this will do the trick

[NormanW]

a lot of thai drivers pay little attention to traffic lights, asking them to stop at Pedestrian Crossings could be a big ask !

I agree, this is an almost impossible ask for motorists!

Waiting for a newsflash after they turn on the lights for the first casualty.

[jori]

They will put cameras on them,big source of income

[Spalpeen]

Seems to me that someone's brother-in-law has a traffic light firm. Just look at all the redundant ones on the 'railway' road. I reckon that all these ones are going to be exactly the same.

The wheelchair access ramps are the same as well - I'll dig a picture out I took last week just outside Wat Chai and post it on here.

Yeah, how's that meant to work exactly? I had the misfortune to drive the full length of the railway road, and back, today. Every junction had traffic lights and every one was on flashing amber or red. And this was in the middle of the afternoon. I had no idea who had right of way and clearly neither did anyone else.

And it gets better. As this get-out-of-the-way free for all was going on there was a cop, or cops, at almost every junction stopping motorcyclists. My wife, herself a Thai, commented on the high proportion of farangs who seemed to have been stopped.

I mean, have they just put up traffic lights and then not bothered to install the boxes that would change them from green to red and back? And another thing. If City Hall is short of money. all they need to do is install a camera at every traffic light that does work to catch those who run the red lights. They'd soon be making more money than Saudi Arabia.

[PattayaParent]

^flashing amber has right of way over flashing red

[LennyW]

^flashing amber has right of way over flashing red

And traffic already in the yellow box junctions has priority over all as it is against the law to stop on these yellow boxes. However, in reality it does not quite work like that.

[toenail]

Since I have a driver that takes me to work, I prefer not to own a car, but just walk and take the baht buses to get around in Pattaya. If one doesn't walk in the city but just drives around they probably don't face the frustration of trying to cross the streets -- such as crossing 2nd Street or Beach Road near the Dolphin. -- Not enough gaps with the traffic flow to get across; one has to run like "ell. It is a pathetic sight to see people on holiday "run for their lives" to cross a street because of rude, clueless drivers who have no idea how to drive slowly in a city. --But like everything else in Pattaya, the lights (just like the security cameras) won't be working for long - if they ever do get turned on. And, around each light is a pile of walking bricks and dirt..you think they will tidy that up from the construction?

[basjke]

Seems to me that someone's brother-in-law has a traffic light firm. Just look at all the redundant ones on the 'railway' road. I reckon that all these ones are going to be exactly the same.

The wheelchair access ramps are the same as well - I'll dig a picture out I took last week just outside Wat Chai and post it on here.

Yeah, how's that meant to work exactly? I had the misfortune to drive the full length of the railway road, and back, today. Every junction had traffic lights and every one was on flashing amber or red. And this was in the middle of the afternoon. I had no idea who had right of way and clearly neither did anyone else.

And it gets better. As this get-out-of-the-way free for all was going on there was a cop, or cops, at almost every junction stopping motorcyclists. My wife, herself a Thai, commented on the high proportion of farangs who seemed to have been stopped.

I mean, have they just put up traffic lights and then not bothered to install the boxes that would change them from green to red and back? And another thing. If City Hall is short of money. all they need to do is install a camera at every traffic light that does work to catch those who run the red lights. They'd soon be making more money than Saudi Arabia.

Well it is pretty easy actually.

When you see

<----- This motorbike coming you will have to stop and give right of way.In all other cases it is up to you.

[PattayaParent]

^flashing amber has right of way over flashing red

And traffic already in the yellow box junctions has priority over all as it is against the law to stop on these yellow boxes. However, in reality it does not quite work like that.

It's illegal to enter the box unless your exit is clear, but I seem to remember from the UK highway code that there is one instance in which you can stop in the box, but can't remember when it's allowed.

[DiamondKing]

a lot of thai drivers pay little attention to traffic lights, asking them to stop at Pedestrian Crossings could be a big ask !

In Chiang Mai we have Pedestrian crossings and i would never trust them I have seen people almost get killed several times where the car on the inside stops but the pedestrian cant see the second lane and if its a tourist from the Uk lets say they know cars have to stop in the UK so mosie across not really concentrating only to have a car or tuk tuk whiz past almost killing them.

I have seen this happen several times thankfully no one was hit yet.

Dk

[PhilHarries]

^flashing amber has right of way over flashing red

flashing hazards trump all other suits.

Those little ramps have been appearing steadily over the last few years and I also know of a few with a darn great power pole right in the middle.

As for pedestrian crossings, thanks but no thanks, I'll take my chances on my own. The only wat they'll ever get the traffic to stop is if they installed those darn great toothed rising barriers like they have at entrances to foreign embassies.

[PattayaParent]

^flashing amber has right of way over flashing red

flashing hazards trump all other suits.

Those little ramps have been appearing steadily over the last few years and I also know of a few with a darn great power pole right in the middle.

As for pedestrian crossings, thanks but no thanks, I'll take my chances on my own. The only wat they'll ever get the traffic to stop is if they installed those darn great toothed rising barriers like they have at entrances to foreign embassies.

Agree with that!!

But aren't the ramps so that the motocy can mount the pavement and so not stop at the lights? Same as they do in Bangkok.

[TomBrown]

What might have been a better idea instead of the ramps being built at the kerb, they could have had speed bumps / sleeping policemen across the road, maybe even with built in led lights, reflective cat eyes or something. Personally I wouldn't mind wide speed bumps raised to pavement level with flat middle section for people to walk across and angled either side for vehicles to go up across and down, if practical.

[Spalpeen]

^flashing amber has right of way over flashing red

Well that's the theory. In practice, if you try to exercise your right of way through a flashing amber light you'll soon be picking pieces of motorcycle out of the bodywork. And the cop who was standing nearby on helmet duty is unlikely to attach any weight to the fact that you had right of way.

[PattayaParent]

What might have been a better idea instead of the ramps being built at the kerb, they could have had speed bumps / sleeping policemen across the road, maybe even with built in led lights, reflective cat eyes or something. Personally I wouldn't mind wide speed bumps raised to pavement level with flat middle section for people to walk across and angled either side for vehicles to go up across and down, if practical.

nah, too sensible, it'll never happen here.

But then that was probably said of the pedestrian crossings.

Maybe when the death toll has reached 100 they might try the speed bump idea.

[FarangBuddha]

I can guarantee you I won't be paying any attention to any "stinking lights" on either Beach or 2nd Roads when I cruising in my vehicle down either one of them! The whole idea is completely daft and would basically cause the entire circular flow of traffic on Beach/2nd Road to come to a complete stop. It would basically be total gridlock. I can't believe there are ting-tong farangs in Pattaya who are actually praising these lights.As to pedestrian safety, I have not noticed any rash of injuries or fatalities of folks crossing the either of these roads (or any others in Pattaya). But there will be if some silly tourist or resident thinks that by pressing the pedestrian crossing button and then entering the roadway they will be safe from oncoming traffic.

These sort of fancy lights have been installed in other areas of Pattaya in the past and have resulted in day-long traffic jams at said intersections and traffic back-ups stretching up to a kilometer. (There were subsequently switched to flashing yellow/red, which is basically how they were before as uncontrolled intersections) and traffic flow returned to normal.

Many traffic studies have shown that installation of excessive (any?) stop signs/lights increases traffic congesting and that minimal or no lights causes traffic to flow naturally and easily like a river, with drivers adjusting their speeds to the prevailing traffic conditions so that everyone can get to where they need to be.

No, surely as has been mentioned, just more unnecessary and unneeded infrastructure spending by City Hall...but if the money isn't spent on a project, there is no "project" to take someone's 20% cut on!