Nationwide Launch Of Bicycle Lanes

[george]

Interior Ministry to encourage people to bike

BANGKOK: -- In the face of rising petrol price, the Interior Ministry is going to encourage people to turn to bicycles.

Caretaker ACM Kongsak Wantana Friday said he would convene a meeting on Monday April 24 to discuss how to implement the idea. He said he was hoping to launch bicycle lanes in every province across the country.

Commuters, especially government officials, will be encouraged to ride bicycles for good health and energy saving.

--The Nation 2006-04-21

[cclub75]

Interior Ministry to encourage people to bike

Commuters, especially government officials, will be encouraged to ride bicycles for good health and energy saving

We can be sure that this last joke will have great success among the Thais.

Bike !

No really, this is too much.

[Ricardo]

We need routes radiating out, from central junctions, sort of hub and spoke layout, no Wheally !

I'd expect more similar statements soon, these things go in cycles, I believe.

On-Yer-Bike !

[jdinasia]

Can you see Thaksin giving up his cars ... to bike to work?

oh wait ... he's unemployed!

[rcm]

First off i like biking, but who wants to bike in April or May....far too hot.

I don't think Biking will be popular here in Thailand ...even walking more than 50 mtrs seems to be far too much for many....

I also would like to see what benefit to health someone would gain by biking in BKK...or other Cities in LOS .

Looking further, i rather sit in a Car and be cut of by a reckless driver who never made a drivers licence than on a Bicycle.

rcm

[Upcountry]

If the bike 'lanes' are just marked parts of already narrow roadways, they'll just be ignored. Sounds like another half-baked populist scheme.

If actual paved paths are set up in areas as short cuts or save passageways, I think more people would bike.

Edited April 21, 2006 by Upcountry

[drbones666]

Bwaa ha ha ha ha ha ... oh that's too much... ahhhh ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.. oh I can't breathe.... AAAAHHHH HA HA HA HA HA .............

Unless they put guard rails around it and elevate it, it will get blocked by hawker stalls, used by motobikes and cars will just eat it up. It's a death trap.

[cdnvic]

Great idea. Wrong country.

I found that the only way to drive safely here is to give up attachment to such notions as lanes.

cv

[sendbaht]

I think it's a great idea. Maybe just an idea, but i wish them all the luck they need.

[Tom Kagai]

The nationwide launch of pavements didn't seem to keep the motorcycles off them.

Mind how you go!

[Foggy Bottom]

Chiangmai tried it ......

All the bicycle lanes went against the flow of traffic in one way streets and so got used as parking lanes by wealthy Thais in big shiny motors.

As for walking 50 metres is to much ..... half a metre is too far judging by how many park on the footpath outside shops and offices.

Sounds like someone else watched a farang movie and spotted something they thought would be a good distraction from political woes here.

[mbkudu]

Great idea. Wrong country.

I found that the only way to drive safely here is to give up attachment to such notions as lanes.

cv

Right; lanes? Bike lanes will be vendor cart sites and motorcycle taxi lanes. Bicycles are at the bottom of the pecking order. How do I know? I rode a bicycle around bicycle to work for a long time. It's quick and efficient, but hot and a wee bit dangerous if you don't have your wits about you and one eye up front and the other glued to the back of your head.

[EmptyMind]

hahahahhaha,

Since Thai drivers have no concept whatsoever what white lines in the road are for ... what will they use to keep them seperate ? Cages ?

Even if they did that then someone would still park on top of it and open a food stall to make it totally impassable unless you walk into incoming traffic.

Maybe a little education into what Pavements are for would be better before they try this dumbass idea.

These ideas are sooooooooooo funny.

[jdinasia]

If the bike 'lanes' are just marked parts of already narrow roadways, they'll just be ignored. Sounds like another half-baked populist scheme.

If actual paved paths are set up in areas as short cuts or save passageways, I think more people would bike.

Half-baked Populist scheme?

Sorry to be that it would have to include a promise of a new bicycle for every person in Isaan

[silk123]

bike lanes not motorbike lanes. and where will they fit?

sounds like more thai stupid talk.

[Sunderland]

I agree with the earlier comments about it being a good idea but in the wrong country. Certainly very hard to see it working in Bangkok.

Never mind, nobody will be able to afford to drive very far in Bangkok soon as oil prices continue to rise. Before long Bangkok ad the central plains of Thailand will disappear when the sea level rises due to global warming ... so please place your early orders here for canoes.

[penzman]

Interior Ministry to encourage people to bike

BANGKOK: -- In the face of rising petrol price, the Interior Ministry is going to encourage people to turn to bicycles.

Caretaker ACM Kongsak Wantana Friday said he would convene a meeting on Monday April 24 to discuss how to implement the idea. He said he was hoping to launch bicycle lanes in every province across the country.

Commuters, especially government officials, will be encouraged to ride bicycles for good health and energy saving.

--The Nation 2006-04-21

You gotta love the way these clowns always come up with a "bright: idea" , make an announcement and THEN call a meeting to discuss it. :D

[astral]

Wonderful idea, but it will never happen, as other posters have pointed out.

The only place where I have really seen a practical cycle system was in the "New Town of Harlow", (Essex, UK). Well it was a new town 40 years ago.

The whole town was designed with a ring road, as I remember it, with road access in to various area, but no through roads in the town itself.

The easiest way to get from one area to another was by a network of paths that were also open to bicycles.

When I was there in the 70's, it worked well. Today I cannot say.

The point is, that it was purpose built! It is no good at all to paint lines on the

road and say, "That is a cycle lane". It just will not work, especially in a

country like Thailand.

[cdnvic]

One problem is that vehicles are much more of a status symbol here, and someone in an SUV assumes that they are a VIP compared to some common person on a bicycle. Look at the way mini-bus and "limo" drivers push through traffic with an air of entitlement. The lane may be designated for a bike, but that peasant mentality of the more expensive possesions bestowing to their owner a superior position, and therfore the right to bully the bike out of it's space, or park on it will render any idea of a designated lane a joke.

cv

[Gazza]

But I thought all the roads in Thailand had cyclepaths on them? Or did I hear wrong?

[kalama]

Chiangmai tried it ......

All the bicycle lanes went against the flow of traffic in one way streets and so got used as parking lanes by wealthy Thais in big shiny motors.

As for walking 50 metres is to much ..... half a metre is too far judging by how many park on the footpath outside shops and offices.

Sounds like someone else watched a farang movie and spotted something they thought would be a good distraction from political woes here.

Hi,

just read a brief article (The Bulletin of the Institute for Transportation & Development Policy Feb.2004) about Lamphun , which shows that a plan for some locations might be quite useful, doesn't it ?

quote

Thai City Plans County's Largest Cycle Network top

Local officials and bicycle advocates hope to turn Muang Lamphun, a small town northern Thailand, into bicycle town with a model bike lane that puts cycling at the center of its transportation system.

In 2002, Thailand's Energy Policy and Planning Office (EPPO) awarded 14 municipalities 500,000 baht for a fesibility study of bicycle lanes. Lamphun's government has proposed a 33.2 km network of bicycle routes, at a cost 220 million baht, which must be approved by a committee in the EPPO.

Bicycle culture is already strong in Lamphun ­ five years ago Mayor Prapat Poocharoen launched a campaign to promote bicycle use. Municipal police use bicycles on their patrol routes, and students are able to exchange recycled garbage for free bicycles at their schools.

"We want to make this town a unique place where residents don't need to buy cars and motorcycles," Mr Prapat told the Bangkok Post. He is running for another term in elections later this month.

Currently, 44% of residents bicycle to work, according to a study conducted by the municipality last year, and a whopping 95% of car drivers said they would leave their cars at home if safe cycling lanes were provided. Lamphun also included its bicycle path into its development master plan for 2002-2006, the only municipality included in the EPPO program to do so.

The network would follow 24 streets around temples and tourists attractions, while 25 major roads would get a separate bicycle path. Speed limits will also be reduced on streets with bike paths.

unquote

[Insight]

Shame on you all for not giving this idea some more serious consideration.

(excuse me a sec...

:D )

Edited April 21, 2006 by Insight

[jaapfries]

Interior Ministry to encourage people to bike

Caretaker ACM Kongsak Wantana Friday said he would convene a meeting on Monday April 24 to discuss how to implement the idea. He said he was hoping to launch bicycle lanes in every province across the country.

==============================================================

A noble idea, but the only thing this utter & obvious 'knit-wit' will be promoting, will be the traffic death-toll average in this Kingdom.

Are they actually paying this ministry's leader for this total nonsense ? ? ? ?

Must be TRT, must be silly, silly, silly ! ! !

[cobra]

... Unless they put guard rails around it and elevate it, it will get blocked by hawker stalls, used by motobikes and cars will just eat it up. It's a death trap...

Agree fully,

An open lane in rush hour traffic would just be too tempting, no room on the walks either,

now maybe they could use the Sky Train tracks, of course, timing would be critical,

[Anon999]

Seems as all the detractors live in BKK and haven't realised there are other places outside the major cities in LOS too. It also gives the impression that farangs consider themselves so much cleverer than Thai people.

The Lamphun example obviously shows what can be done if people are open minded, not like the majority who seem to post on TV. Furthermore, nowhere did I see any mention that bicycle lanes where going to be on existiing roads. Maybe it would have been better to say cycle paths, if that is what they are intending.

[John K]

60-20-20

[logbags]

I think his name is actually A T D Kongsak Wantana. i.e A Total <deleted>.

At least we can have a new cliche for the papers. "The driver cycled from the scene" when any accident happens.

Hot Air Chief Marshall Kongsak needs to make sure the landing gear in his brain is engaged before trying to land an idea like this.

I can just see Thaksin giving up his Benz for a Malvern star 10 speed.

It would be quite a sight to see Pojaman tredling her way to the beauty salon.

[nasa]

Whatever is it, just give it a try... it will still safe some energy .....

[penzman]

But I thought all the roads in Thailand had cyclepaths on them? Or did I hear wrong?

No, that's the shoulder which they see as a third lane which is used to undertake when 2 lanes are not enough.

[Greer]

But I thought all the roads in Thailand had cyclepaths on them? Or did I hear wrong?

No - you heard right - all roads in Thailand do have psychopaths on them...

Seriously though, although there are a lot of negative comments, I do think it can be a good idea outside the main cities. Bangkok and other centres of population are far too crowded to add this to the already overloaded road system, but if properly thought out and designed (see - there's a catch in everything) this could work.

There is no way in this world that Bangkok has space for it though - that is agreed.

The comments relating to the usage are spot on though - policing the usage to make sure a cycle-way is safe, and remains clear and safe, for the people for whom it is intended is going to be the biggest problem.

I wish them well with it, but I do agree that more thought and discussion in-house would have been better than jumping in with both feet BEFORE meeting those who could plan the proper implementation.

G

Edited April 21, 2006 by Greer