City officials looking to improve traffic argue over road barriers

[Rimmer]

City officials looking to improve traffic argue over road barriers

PATTAYA:--Pattaya officials met to brainstorm how to fix road problems and improve traffic safety but ended up just bickering over three Third Road barriers.

Anupong Phutanawarat of the Department of Peace and Stability Maintenance chaired the Oct. 10 meeting with police and city council members.

Councilman Sanit Boonmachai suggested that one way to improve traffic on Third Road would be to remove three barriers blocking cross traffic at sois Sophon, Korphai, Bongkot.

Full story:http://www.pattayamail.com/localnews/city-officials-looking-to-improve-traffic-argue-over-road-barriers-31425

-- Pattaya Mail 2013-10-25

[wwex]

not familiar with the area, but would it be such a big deal to remove the barrier for a few days and see what happems in reality? I guess it is

[Suradit69]

not familiar with the area, but would it be such a big deal to remove the barrier for a few days and see what happems in reality? I guess it is

"would it be such a big deal to remove the barrier for a few days and see what happems in reality?"

We experienced reality before they were installed ... which is why they were installed. No real reason to further experiment.

We know what it was like at the one nearest to Pattaya Klang before the barriers were placed there. Many people traveling north on Sai Sam took that as a way to avoid having to wait for the traffic light at Pattaya Klang, particularly if they were en route to ex-Carrefour/Big C Extra, which meant they blocked one lane on Sai Sam and further clogged up the soi that runs east of Big C or a smaller soi that meets Pattaya Klang with no traffic light ... which is why the barriers were put there in the first place.

The barriers didn't magically make everything smooth sailing, but they do eliminate one place where traffic often got snarled. Motorbike riders tend to just do a U-turn as it suits them to avoid the barriers, but they were not the primary problem to begin with and at least the barriers oblige them to slow down.

There are also some barriers put up relatively recently on Pattaya Tai between Sai Sam and Sukhumvit which have been some help in removing one source of traffic congestion there and probably eliminated some accidents as people seemed to feel it was OK to suddenly cross both lanes to join Pattaya Tai whether or not there was a break in the traffic.

At least in those two cases the barriers were installed not that long ago and they did make a marginal improvement in traffic flow during busy times. Before that they tried traffic cones which were pretty much ignored and shoved out of the way by some. I can't see that the concrete barriers presence is a problem and if some people ignored the cones and still manage to get around the cement barriers, I can't see how just having signs there would impress anyone who was determined to save two minutes no matter the cost to everyone else.

We all know how useful all those pedestrian crossing traffic lights are on Sai Song or Beach Rd. They are totally ignored. Hard to believe anyone thinks putting up a few signs would have any effect on drivers.

Edited October 25, 2013 by Suradit69

[joepattaya1961]

If the people in traffic start to give way or start to behave like a "gentleman" ..............sorry, this is a congested city and not Utopia

[Langsuan Man]

Once again they argue over barriers and forget enforcement

The one they installed on Pattay Tai at Soi 16 has been a miserable failure from the very beginning because all the motor cycles just block traffic making the illegal U turn around the barrier. Not to mention the vehicles that will cut into the Sukumvit bound lane going the wrong way to turn into Soi 16

Stop with all the posturing and enforce the laws Pattaya City officials or force the police to do more than write motorcycle tickets at Kasikorn Bank on Tai on Market Day.....

[cup-O-coffee]

<deleted>?

The sheer lunacy which goes into the content of this article, and describes yet again the defunct Thai mind, does nothing more than beggar me.

[Basil B]

Surely just some road signs "Turn Left", "No Right Turn", "No 'U' Turn", etc. Put up some cameras for evidence collection and some BiB's to "Ticket" offenders

[OZEMADE]

Doesn't seem to stop them doing a U-turn from the 2nd and 3rd lane from Sukumvit to Centre Rd or the same from Sukumvit down Siam Country Club Rd. They just don't care. Be a good idea to turn on the traffic lights that are set up on all the rail crossings, save a lot of accidents and headaches with the traffic jams.

[Langsuan Man]

Doesn't seem to stop them doing a U-turn from the 2nd and 3rd lane from Sukumvit to Centre Rd or the same from Sukumvit down Siam Country Club Rd. They just don't care. Be a good idea to turn on the traffic lights that are set up on all the rail crossings, save a lot of accidents and headaches with the traffic jams.

Unfortunately they will just disregard the traffic lights like they do common sense yielding

In Thailand, where money is number one, the only way to change behavior is the make them pay for it......through enforcement....but that is not as easy as the BIB standing at a street corner and extorting money for no helmets

[alocacoc]

Just a few days ago they installed two warning lights on the top of exactly this barrier.

Edited October 30, 2013 by alocacoc