Bangkok Traffic Police To Become 'smart'

[webfact]

SMART POLICE

Bangkok traffic police to become 'smart'

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Metropolitan Police yesterday joined forces with National Electronics and Computer Technology Centre, 3BB Wi-Fi and the Thai Intelligent Transport Systems Association to launch the 'Smart Police' system at 395 intersections across Bangkok.

Each intersection will be equipped with webcams to provide a real-time feed of traffic to the Traffic Control and Command Centre, allow video conferencing to resolve unexpected traffic problems help the police look out for stolen vehicles via a licence-plate detection system.

-- The Nation 2012-11-06

[BookMan]

Video conferencing on Facebook and Skype perhaps?

[dcutman]

So now they can look at traffic grid lock via web cam. All the technology in the world is not gonna help if you dont how to use it, or understand the problems you are trying to solve.

[Songhua]

Excellent.

'Look Sir, we can see on the webcams that we have a jam all the way along Sathorn'

'Get on the video conferencer and tell the booth officers - who are standing right there'

'Couldn't they just radio each back down the line Sir?'

'No, .... they're only responsible for the flow at their own intersection. We need to tell each one individually'

'If only we had a master control room so we could direct the flow when we see problems occuring .... then the booth officers could be out catching people.'

[whistleblower]

The web cams would serve better if they were pointed at the police box so we can monitor the cops eating/picking their noses/sleeping/on mobile instead of flicking the switch to change the lights!

[jaltsc]

Making the police smart. If they also can make them honest, I see a Nobel Prize

[laurentbkk]

Bangkok traffic police to become 'smart' ?????? Really ? why ? they were stupid before ? I am quite happy with those new technology but before that ...why did they watch the traffic ? Lets hope the 4 to 6 minutes or sometime more waiting at intersection will disappear soon ......

[asiawatcher]

The average heart beats at 60+ per minute. If the blood don't flow the body stops. Ditto the traffic. 4-5 minutes per side at an intersection and you have instant chaos - miss the light and you could be 20 minutes. Having police override electronic controls is sheer stupidity. Teach the traffic police to not interfere, sync the lights along streets to be timed so traffic all moves continuously and set them at no more that 45 second intervals in peak hours and bingo. No waiting for Constable Somchai to stop sipping coffee whilst talking to his Gik on his iPhone 5 he obtained by .... means. Web cams? Sure, why not, but don't let the B.i.B. put their sticky little fingers anywhere near buttons.

[rinteln]

ahhh what a great topic to start the day. Im still laughing !!

Thailand was and still remains the only place in the world ive been to where police still direct traffic on a one way street...............lol

It always makes me chuckle when im on the bus on sukumvit and you see a stupid policeman blowing his whistle and waving his on the side of a straight road with one way traffic. Apart from taking the piss my point here is maybe sort their intelligence out first.

Edited November 6, 2012 by rinteln

[rinteln]

Totally agree.

Here in Pattaya you always know when a policeman is overiding the lights at a junction because the traffic is alot worse.

I want to know who told them or advised that allowing traffic from each side to go for twice or even 3 times longer is the answer to clearing the traffic.........lol

Edited November 6, 2012 by rinteln

[LuckyLew]

One problem solved ...............

Now what are the going to do ab out the less the brilliant drivers

who create the grid lock. Until the drivers learn how to drive and

know the laws of the road nothing will change.

They can start with telling people that when there is one lane for

rights turns, it does not mean you can go three wide

[FOODLOVER]

Maybe some of that fancy technology could be utilized in timing the lights correctly.

[khunron13]

My understanding is the current "traffic control system" was installed by a Japanese company and worked fine, until the company was pressured into telling the police how to override the system. It's been downhill and mega traffic jams ever since!

[Halion]

From what I have seen driving in Bangkok a significant contribution to the traffic chaos is down to the fact that the lights at major intersections are far too long resulting in a massive slug of traffic merely migrating from one choke point to another. Furthermore the use of police officers controling the lights serves little purpose if all they are doing is relying on what they can see from their control box.

Reduce the holding time and phase the lights electronicaly dependant to traffic flow direction at the respective peak hours.

Another thing that is blatantly obvious is the shere lack of driver disipline with regard to lane merging. These drivers choose which ever lane moves them forward with total disregard to where they need to be at the next intersection. All too often I have seen traffic jams caused by some inconsiderate prick who has migrated down the outside lane only to try to cross three traffic lanes as he wants to turn left at the lights.

A further major contributor to traffic flow is the God given right assumed by Taxi's ,Mini Vans and Busses to stop in the second lane to allow passenger to enter or alight, thewreby reducing a 3 lane flow to a single lane

Last but not least is the lazy self important attitude of local drivers that feel they have the right to double park in order to by dinner from the road side stalls to take home.Again 2 or 3 lanes reduced to one.

Many systemic improvements can and should be made but them will not suceed unless driver attitudes are seriously changed.

[jerrysteve]

Jaltsc: They don't have technology for that to make them honest.

They are only trained in how to shake people down...!

Edited November 6, 2012 by jerrysteve

[Katipo]

I always like it when I see a Police Officer waving the traffic forward. "Why thank you officer. If you hadn't been there I am sure we would have all stopped our cars and got out and walked the rest of the journey"

I remember when I worked in Bang Plii. Whenever there was a traffic jam at this one round-about, there was always a police officer there controlling the traffic. To this day I still don't know which came first, the chicken or the egg.

[Minnehaha]

The average heart beats at 60+ per minute. If the blood don't flow the body stops. Ditto the traffic. 4-5 minutes per side at an intersection and you have instant chaos - miss the light and you could be 20 minutes. Having police override electronic controls is sheer stupidity. Teach the traffic police to not interfere, sync the lights along streets to be timed so traffic all moves continuously and set them at no more that 45 second intervals in peak hours and bingo. No waiting for Constable Somchai to stop sipping coffee whilst talking to his Gik on his iPhone 5 he obtained by .... means. Web cams? Sure, why not, but don't let the B.i.B. put their sticky little fingers anywhere near buttons.

I believe Thailand is unique: Longest traffic lights in the world.

[Nickymaster]

So basically they are going to spend billions on some hardware and software that will create large kick backs for politicians. Expect the system to be working for 70% the first year, 40% the second year and it will most probably be nonfunctional the third year.

Next smart idea please...

[Estrada]

My understanding is the current "traffic control system" was installed by a Japanese company and worked fine, until the company was pressured into telling the police how to override the system. It's been downhill and mega traffic jams ever since!

The original traffic control system was installed by a British Company Peek Traffic Control when Krisida Arungwong Na Ayuthaya was Governor of Bangkok. The traffic lights were all controlled as a "Smart" system so that traffic lights would turn green in sequence in the direction of flow. However the police thought that their system was much better and refused to cooperate. In order to demonstrate the system would work, the Company had to send money by motor cycle couriers to the police boxes at every junction. On the demonstration days there resulted in no traffic jams and a good flow of traffic. After the handover the Police went back to playing with the lights.

[muratremix]

They need to train Thai drivers for their small mistakes that cause traffic jam in the first place!

[LotusBoy]

I wish ALL traffic cops looked like her

[nakhonandy]

If they are going to spend money on anything it should not be webcams etc.

just set the traffic lights up correctly based on traffic flow (complicated but most of the world can do it)

Ban uneducated cops from touching anything, in fact disable any overrides.

Fine people for driving poorly i.e. being in the wrong lane, for whatever reason.

I know I am in dreamland and this wont happen but with correct administration it could.

Incidentally it is not only Thailand, KL is also a nightmare for mostly the same reasons.

[pcdude]

They are only using that technology to spot farangs with no helmets... the rest.. well, they can continue on their way, its their Thai Right!

[newermonkey]

Its the equipment thats "smart" the cops will stay "dumb" and as crooked as ever.

[Bagwan]

So basically they are going to spend billions on some hardware and software that will create large kick backs for politicians. Expect the system to be working for 70% the first year, 40% the second year and it will most probably be nonfunctional the third year.

Next smart idea please...

Precisely. Seems to me that the mean time between failures of the traffic lights in Pattaya is measured in not too many hours.

[Bagwan]

I wish ALL traffic cops looked like her

Dream on, sunshine.

[joboss]

Excellent.

'Look Sir, we can see on the webcams that we have a jam all the way along Sathorn'

'Get on the video conferencer and tell the booth officers - who are standing right there'

'Couldn't they just radio each back down the line Sir?'

'No, .... they're only responsible for the flow at their own intersection. We need to tell each one individually'

'If only we had a master control room so we could direct the flow when we see problems occuring .... then the booth officers could be out catching people.'

Good business plan,,, bet you wish u r Thai traffic cop.

[sirchai]

SMART POLICE

They should start with politicians first, then teachers etc.....

[sprq]

My understanding is the current "traffic control system" was installed by a Japanese company and worked fine, until the company was pressured into telling the police how to override the system. It's been downhill and mega traffic jams ever since!

The original traffic control system was installed by a British Company Peek Traffic Control when Krisida Arungwong Na Ayuthaya was Governor of Bangkok. The traffic lights were all controlled as a "Smart" system so that traffic lights would turn green in sequence in the direction of flow. However the police thought that their system was much better and refused to cooperate. In order to demonstrate the system would work, the Company had to send money by motor cycle couriers to the police boxes at every junction. On the demonstration days there resulted in no traffic jams and a good flow of traffic. After the handover the Police went back to playing with the lights.

Quite right, about 20 years ago. Having been here 30 years, watched the rise of the police traffic light box, and seen no improvement in that simplest of things that these dummies could actually do if someone told them to -- change the lights more frequently -- which would solve a great deal of traffic flow problems in one fell swoop, I see no hope of change in the future. These people are dinosaurs, commanded by dinosaurs. They have no clue, and never will have a clue.

[bangkapi]

Making the police smart. If they also can make them honest, I see a Nobel Prize

Unfortunately, the Nobel Prize is a joke...

Look who has won it? Obama.... European Union...