Phuket Opinion: Drivers’ Carelessness Causes Traffic Jams

[Lite Beer]

Phuket Opinion: Drivers’ carelessness causes traffic jams
Phuket Gazette -

PHUKET: Phuket City traffic policeman Pol Sen Sgt Maj Boonliang Maneewong, 53, is from Sisaket province in the Northeast. He graduated from the Provincial Police Training Center Region 2 in Chon Buri province in 1984 and has been working with the Thalang Police since 1985.

He has been a traffic officer for 20 years, and for the last three years he has been posted at the Koh Kaew traffic lights. Here he talks about the Koh Kaew Intersection, one of the busiest on the island, and shares his ideas about how to improve traffic flow.

People stopping to buy items from roadside vendors causes some of the congestion around the Koh Kaew Intersection on Thepkrasattri Road. The other main issue in the area is people carelessly driving – they need to pay more attention to traffic instructions and regulations. If people took more care when they were driving, it would solve many traffic problems.

For example, drivers should not increase their speed when they see a traffic light turn yellow. Everyone knows that when the light is yellow you are supposed to slow down and prepare to stop.

People need to keep the traffic laws in mind and follow them. I think everyone knows what’s right and what’s wrong. They just ignore what’s right sometimes to make their lives easier. They forget that other people are using the road too, and that they should be considerate.

The intersection on Thepkrasattri Road at Koh Kaew is one of the busiest on the island. Not only is Thepkrasattri Road the only route off the island, but it’s the main road to the airport. In addition, there are businesses and residential areas along it in Koh Kaew, as well as a market. These make the area even busier. The traffic is the worst from 7 to 10am and from 3:30 to 6pm.

Traffic gets slowed down between these times mostly because of drivers’ behavior and the size of the road. If the road were significantly wider, it would make a big difference. However, as it is, drivers must modify their behavior and obey traffic laws.

My job is to serve the people on the road, not arrest them. All my attention goes to making the traffic flow as smoothly as possible.

I don’t have any secrets for doing the job well, I just try to do my best and use my judgment in deciding how to direct traffic. Sometimes I have to let motorists go through a red light to promote traffic flow.

Please understand that according to the law, if a traffic policeman is present, motorists must obey him, not the traffic lights.

The best way to solve the traffic problems would be to widen the road or rebuild it to improve flow. It’s such an important and heavily used road. But I don’t know when that will happen.

In the meantime, I’ll just do my best to keep traffic flowing.

Source: http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket_news/2013/Phuket-Opinion-Drivers-carelessness-causes-traffic-jams-20320.html

-- Phuket Gazette 2013-02-25

[Jane Doe]

Widen the road so people can park in second and third row to buy things from the street vendors.

Suthep road in Chiang Mai is another great example how these street vendors and careless drivers can cause traffic jams.

[Chicog]

It's not carelessness it's utter arrogance and a total lack of respect for any other road users. They all have this inflated sense of self importance.

[wooloomooloo]

My job is to serve the people on the road, not arrest them.

฿200 sorts that little problem.

[JetsetBkk]

Ban (and move to somewhere else) all roadside street markets.

Ban (and move to somewhere else) all 7/11's on street corners.

Ban (and move to .....

Oh, can't be bothered.

Just do what normal civilised countries do.

[Felt 35]

So wider roads is the answer to the mayhem

[Payboy]

For example, drivers should not increase their speed when they see a traffic light turn yellow. Everyone knows that when the light is yellow you are supposed to slow down and prepare to stop.

Everyone, really everyone?

[transam]

It's not carelessness it's utter arrogance and a total lack of respect for any other road users. They all have this inflated sense of self importance.

For sure, but thats the BiB's job to sort out. LOS wants to be a first world country, YES, then BiB do your job, hit folk in the pocket.

[bearpolar]

I think everyone knows what’s right and what’s wrong. They just ignore what’s right sometimes to make their lives easier.

At least hes honest. He ignores whats right by not chasing dangerous criminals on the roads to make his life easier.

[lavender19]

What with the Bangkok and Karon bunch locking themslves in the police station because they are frightened of the mob outside and this guy saying he is not there to arrest the morons on the road??/This place is like a Monty Pythons Sketch.

People asked me why I did not report a maniac mini bus driver who punched me in the face.

Report to WHO?

These clowns who are supposed to enforce the law.

It would have been me paying out to some scum mini bus driver not the other way round.

[JetsetBkk]

My job is to serve the people on the road, not arrest them. All my attention goes to making the traffic flow as smoothly as possible.

Actually, your job and the job of every policeman is to arrest anyone who breaks the law.

Your job is NOT to let people off in return for money. That is called corruption.

Here endeth today's lesson.

[Guest]

Maybe there should be a Darwin highway through the island. This road would not have any speed limits nor other rules. Guns and grenades are allowed as well. Let the boys play their game for an while.

Every driver who have endangered others on normal roads are sentenced to use the Darwin highway.

After a few months or years, when there is only few crazy drivers left, the highway is turned into normal highway.

[Payboy]

Maybe there should be a Darwin highway through the island. This road would not have any speed limits nor other rules. Guns and grenades are allowed as well. Let the boys play their game for an while.

Every driver who have endangered others on normal roads are sentenced to use the Darwin highway.

After a few months or years, when there is only few crazy drivers left, the highway is turned into normal highway.

That idea sounds good. Only problem is the Darwin highway is already the normal highway.