More Expressways Expected To Be Built To Solve Bangkok's Traffic Problem

[webfact]

More expressways expected to be built to solve traffic problem

file photo

BANGKOK, 27 April 2013 (NNT)-The Ministry of Transport will be taking action to ease daily traffic congestion around entrances to various expressways after the number of cars using expressways has reportedly increased to nearly 2 million a day.

According to Permanent Secretary for Transport Police General Wichien Pojphosri, solutions have been sought during a recent seminar which was joined by representatives from the government and private sector and educational institutions.

Results of the seminar will be submitted to related units for consideration. Expressway Authority of Thailand (EXAT) Governor Aiyanat Tinarpai said commuters currently make 190,000 trips daily on the expressway.

Additional lanes are usually opened at the entrance of expressways during the rush hours from 06.00 - 08.30 a.m., to reduce the congestion. Commuters are also encouraged to use the easy pass service in which the expressway fee is automatically deducted from a small device installed in a car.

Mr. Aiyanat added there are now about 600,000 easy pass users, contributing to the reduction in traffic snarls. He also said that 9 more expressways are expected to be constructed in a long-term solution to Bangkok’s notorious traffic congestion.


-- NNT 2013-04-27

[IMA_FARANG]

Oh yes, briilant solution.

It's not the access to certain areas of Bangkok that's causing the traffic problem, it's the streets themselves in those areas of Bangkok that are causing the problems.

So building more expressways to already congested areas of Bangkok will not solve the "traffic problem", it will simply bring more vehicles into those already congested areas.

It's rather like trying to pour more water into a already plugged drain, it won't work. will it.?

[moe666]

Every study about more freeways shows that it only leads to more congestion.

[retell]

they need to built more bangkok

[laurentbkk]

more expressway ..... more money ..... roads in Thailand are more expensive than any other places , included Europe , the system of payment is totally stupid .... you pay the same for 1 or 30 km ..... from Rangsit to Town return , toll way + express way = 260 bath x 5 days etc ...... means 136 euros per month..... ridiculous.

[notmyself]

Honestly, Thailand pays out money to sell more cars then pays even more to handle the increase in traffic. Economic disaster.

[DocN]

What about getting the BIB out of their little kingdoms (the "booth") and replace them with a computer-controlled traffic- light system?

[Locationthailand]

What about getting the BIB out of their little kingdoms (the "booth") and replace them with a computer-controlled traffic- light system?

Exactly, the greatest cause of congestions are the idiots controlling the lights. Then again, start educating drivers to carry more than one person (the driver) and that would go a long way as would adding an extra rolling stock to the MRT and the BTS so people would not get so discouraged at the more efficient rail systems through overcrowding. Educating the lane jumpers - who drop out then push back in and do not understand they have achieved nothing other than causing cessation of traffic flow. And on it goes.

Expressways? .. sure, just another reason to be able to inflate a budget to steal from Thailand...

[scorecard]

What about getting the BIB out of their little kingdoms (the "booth") and replace them with a computer-controlled traffic- light system?

Exactly, the greatest cause of congestions are the idiots controlling the lights. Then again, start educating drivers to carry more than one person (the driver) and that would go a long way as would adding an extra rolling stock to the MRT and the BTS so people would not get so discouraged at the more efficient rail systems through overcrowding. Educating the lane jumpers - who drop out then push back in and do not understand they have achieved nothing other than causing cessation of traffic flow. And on it goes.

Expressways? .. sure, just another reason to be able to inflate a budget to steal from Thailand...

Controlling the lights: I wonder how many people know there was a major project some 15 to 18 years ago to totally computerize / coordinate all traffic lights across Bangkok, summary as follows:

- Software developed. Computer / monitoring room / screens etc., all installed.

- Contractor complained continuously of slowness / lack of cooperation / hiding of relevant information needed to make it all work

- Day one - first hour total chaos and total gridlock across Bangkok. A bit later in the morning some improvement, but not working as desired. (Note: Police instructed that they were not to manually interfere with the lights.)

- Then instruction from above 'turn it off, put police back on duty', 'never to be used again'.

- All concerned walked away

I remember it well.

Budgets: Agree, there are many other items of higher priority, but expressways is an easy mark for a very very big budget - another trough.

After all have to keep the members of the 'Get Rich Quick Club' happy.

Edited April 27, 2013 by scorecard

[Payboy]

Nothing's gonna change as long as there are U-turns at every 100m and people double or triple lane for those.

[dcutman]

More expressways expected to be built to solve traffic parking problem

[rubl]

It would be nice if the Bangkok Governor and the Transport Minister could seemlessly work together on building more public transport BTS,MRT,rail.

At least the BMA seems to have been listening to voters who wanted cheaper transportation. Since probably Songkhran the BRT has become cheaper. My trip Sathon - Nararam3 has changed from 10 to 5 Baht.

[dominique355]

More streets, more express ways and more cars! Yeah right and that will solve the problem? I don't think so.

But giving the car drivers an attractive alternative to using his/her car might be. That means "attractive public transport".

If the bus gets stuck in traffic just like the car, what's the point of leaving your car home?

But subways, elevated trains (although ugly), bus lanes (enforced!) might help. And simply enforce the existing rules, like no taxi parking in the bus stop so that the bus has to stop in the middle of the road causing congestion.

Expressways in Bangkok are only a storage area for cars waiting to pay the highway toll. The toll system must be abolished or drastically changed. Make EasyPass mandatory. And double the price! This will keep the traffic fluid.

(And just to make myself the most hated poster: Ban pick-up trucks, vans, trucks from the right-most lane. Can I include all the Vios and Citys? OK, I shut up now. )

As many have said before: More streets only attract more traffic.

[Mr Red]

Enough freeways -- replace u-turns with traffic lights or flyovers, expand BTS system and add secured parking garages near each outlying BTS station to encourage commuter riders, consider a toll system for taking a car downtown during certain hours but provide parking space outside areas and transport into central area. Many other major cities have taken similar steps and controlled their traffic.

[rheinwiese]

Preparations for future floods. With the gazillion of cars in BK, everyone needs a place to park when the floods hit.

[MaxLee]

That makes traffic even worse,.... more constructions more bottlenecks.... need I say more????

[yourauntbob]

Enough freeways -- replace u-turns with traffic lights or flyovers, expand BTS system and add secured parking garages near each outlying BTS station to encourage commuter riders, consider a toll system for taking a car downtown during certain hours but provide parking space outside areas and transport into central area. Many other major cities have taken similar steps and controlled their traffic.

Exactly what i was thinking +!

[brfsa2]

it's the Highway and Automotives mafia in action.

The car manufacturers and highways makes huge money out the Thais...

this is the WORST solution!

if Thai were smart, would follow Hong kong, Malaysia and Singapore steps... minimal highways, excellent public transportation...

but since the corruption is just so much, NEVER will happen

[Morden]

From my experience in Bangkok, expressways do little more than move congestion from on place to another, with tolls to be paid on the way.

I don't understand where all those vehicles park when they get to their destination. Perhaps much of it is through traffic but the jams at the end of exit roads suggest otherwise.

[retell]

From my experience in Bangkok, expressways do little more than move congestion from on place to another, with tolls to be paid on the way.

I don't understand where all those vehicles park when they get to their destination. Perhaps much of it is through traffic but the jams at the end of exit roads suggest otherwise.

guess i was lucky several times on the expressway going from the north to south and back and only once trafficjam due to an accident

[sprq]

Nothing's gonna change as long as there are U-turns at every 100m and people double or triple lane for those.

Back in the 1980s U-turns didn't exist, although a few would have been useful to ease up junctions where right turns were causing congestion. Then the police discovered them and started introducing them.

So far, so good. But then U-turns replacing right turns became the instant solution to everything for the geniuses at police HQ and they started enforcing them all over the place. A no-brain solution from those with no brains which today causes far more problems than it solves.

Edited April 27, 2013 by spr&q

[sprq]

Another case of a wrong headline. The report actually says nothing at all about more expressways -- thank god, because that would be insane -- but speaks about tweaking the entrances, which sounds sensible.

[Morakot]

He also said that 9 more expressways are expected to be constructed in a

long-term solution to Bangkok’s notorious traffic congestion.

That's not a long-term solution, just a pointless sound bite. He clearly hasn't understood that more roads attract more traffic.

[Morden]

Another case of a wrong headline. The report actually says nothing at all about more expressways -- thank god, because that would be insane -- but speaks about tweaking the entrances, which sounds sensible.

Did you miss this?

Mr. Aiyanat added there are now about 600,000 easy pass users, contributing to the reduction in traffic snarls. He also said that 9 more expressways are expected to be constructed in a long-term solution to Bangkok’s notorious traffic congestion.

[Morakot]

Another case of a wrong headline. The report actually says nothing at all about more expressways -- thank god, because that would be insane -- but speaks about tweaking the entrances, which sounds sensible.

Did you miss this?

Mr. Aiyanat added there are now about 600,000 easy pass users, contributing to the reduction in traffic snarls. He also said that 9 more expressways are expected to be constructed in a long-term solution to Bangkok’s notorious traffic congestion.

Please see here!

[Fullstop]

More expressways expected to be built to...

... compensate for all the extra cars bought because of Yingluk's first car buyer scheme.

[planr]

Another case of a wrong headline. The report actually says nothing at all about more expressways -- thank god, because that would be insane -- but speaks about tweaking the entrances, which sounds sensible.

Did you miss this?

Mr. Aiyanat added there are now about 600,000 easy pass users, contributing to the reduction in traffic snarls. He also said that 9 more expressways are expected to be constructed in a long-term solution to Bangkok’s notorious traffic congestion.

There are a number of new inter-urban / inter-provincial expressways that will be built if the 2 trillion THB transport investment bill passes. Some of these, such as the ones from BKK to Korat and from BKK to Kanchanaburi make a lot of sense and are essentially "shovel-ready" as the Americans say, with feasibility studies, detailed designs, and EIAs already complete.

There is also a Bangkok Expressway Master Plan, developed in the late 1990s I believe, which still exists, but is effectively dead in the water. One example of this is the push-back from Kasetsart University, which has flatly rejected a proposal to build an expressway through parts of its campus, insisting instead on light rail. Whether or not the light rail is built is a moot point.

[Thailand1977]

Every study about more freeways shows that it only leads to more congestion.

Every study by environmentalists.

As nations/people get richer the first thing they want is a car, thus more cars are inevitable.

[Fullstop]

I've quite found often when there is a "traffic snarl" it's because of the BiB setting up yet another tea money making check point. I guess that won't be changed anytime soon.

[edgarfriendly]

I've quite found often when there is a "traffic snarl" it's because of the BiB setting up yet another tea money making check point. I guess that won't be changed anytime soon.

while this is true there are ways around these 'checkpoints' unfortunately these ways are unacceptable to most.

with any luck the cctv system will put a percentage of this out of action, or perhaps theyll simply relocate to the blind spots...

either way, they are a menace.