Camera-Controlled Traffic Lights Begin Testing In East Pattaya

[Rimmer]

Camera-controlled Traffic Lights begin testing in East Pattaya

PATTAYA: -- A new camera-controlled traffic light system is being tested at a busy East Pattaya junction. On Tuesday Afternoon, Khun Itipon, the Mayor of Pattaya, who was joined by Police Colonel Somnook, the Banglamung Police Chief, officially opened the first location to use the new system which detects vehicle numbers and changes the traffic lights accordingly. The system will be switched on at 13 junctions along the road running adjacent to the train track along the entire eastern side of Pattaya over the coming days.

Full story HERE

-- Pattaya One 2010-10-26

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[LennyW]

This should be interesting............

[timekeeper]

This should be interesting............

it was, normally i breeze through, today i had to wait, along with 50-60 other cars that the equipment seemed to think were invisible and failed to detect.

must be made by the same firm that made the bomb sniffer

time for a new route into town methinks..........

[edh]

Well, It did not work out that well today and I'm afraid it will not work in the future as well.

[Mobi]

This afternoon at around 3 pm I approached the Soi Siam Country Club junction along the 'local road' going in southerly direction,(towards Satahip), there was a massive back up of vehicles - maybe a kilometre long.

I could see the lights changing from red to green and the green light for my line of traffic stayed green for about 5 seconds and red for several minutes.

I was there a long time, slowly inching my way forward, about 5 vehicles at a time, when eventually, even though the lights had turned red, the line kept going, against the red light. When I reached and crossed the junction the lights were still red and the traffic just kept on going. No police or other officials were in sight - just drivers taking the law into their own hands as they were so fed up with what was happening.

IMHO, lights will never work at those junctions because there are too many alternative traffic light configurations. (South bound traffic turns right, southbound traffic goes straight ahead, north bound traffic turns right, northbound traffic goes straight ahead, and so on and so forth for east and west bound traffic. By the time all the sequences have taken their turn, several minutes have gone by and the traffic is backed up everywhere.

It was actually working pretty well with the traffic 'giving and taking' and weaving in and out in the time honoured Thai way. I know it was dangerous, but apart from that the only solution it seems to me is to have a permanent, EXPERIENCED traffic cop at the busiest junctions to keep everything moving.

[kevkev1888]

LOL

Yeah Siam Country Club was a disaster this afternoon.

Lucky for me I was on my motorbike but traffic was backed way up in all directions at 5PM today.

[farangpattaya]

LOL

Yeah Siam Country Club was a disaster this afternoon.

Lucky for me I was on my motorbike but traffic was backed way up in all directions at 5PM today.

Luckily they concluded that the test failed before 6 p.m............no problem what so ever around that time.

Faai daeng was turned into the 'flickering-mode' again.

[contemplating]

lights will never work on soi siam. The old system wasnt good, but it seemed to work, with the occasional accident.

[craigt3365]

Though that roadway is a great alternative to Suk, I hate those intersections. Might has right. Big trucks just cruise right on through...scooters trying to keep out of the path. Something needs to be done, but you are right. Unless there is a cop watching everything, nobody will pay any attention to them. I see people running red lights all the time here on Suk. But they do slow down first...

[Spoonman]

I see people running red lights all the time here on Suk. But they do slow down first...

Are they really running red lights though, a lot of the lights on Suk road you can proceed through on the left lane.

[craigt3365]

I see people running red lights all the time here on Suk. But they do slow down first...

Are they really running red lights though, a lot of the lights on Suk road you can proceed through on the left lane.

For sure running red lights. I know the places where you can cruise right on through if the light is red. Great idea, actually.

The one that gets me is when they come up along side you where there is a right hand turn lane, then just cruise right on through. I see it all the time. Especially at Soi Wat Boon when I am heading North...and it's usually one of those minibuses carrying tourists...or a red tagged BMW/Benz.

Heck, I saw one this week at Chaiya Phruek that was great. Cop box right there. I'm heading South and this Camry heads down the shoulder, passing quite a few cars lined up at the light. Slows down, turns like he is heading left, then just cruises right on through, red light and all. Scooters scurrying out of his (or her) way. Cop box right there.