Bangkok Police Opens Traffic Congestion Centre

[george]

Traffic plans

BANGKOK: -- The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) and the capital's police hope to open a congestion centre to resolve traffic problems before the school term starts, the city's governor said yesterday.

Governor Apirak Kosayodhin said about 50 traffic centres across the capital were preparing for rush-hour congestion when many schools start back on May 17.

The Traffic Department on Mitmaitree Road, Din Daeng, will work with the traffic offices and police stations between May 15 and May 30.

Apirak wants to change the timing of traffic lights at key junctions and improve road signs. He is planning to have more surveillance cameras and speed traps installed in front of schools.

--The Nation 2006-05-05

[sjaak327]

"Apirak wants to change the timing of traffic lights at key junctions "

Now here is a sure way to improve things. Some of these traffics lights are really badly programmed, one example is the Rama IV - Ratchada juntion, where it takes ages to get onto Rama IV from Ratchada, since the lights will only be green for a mere 30 seconds.

[Spit the Dog]

Good luck to the guys but it's gonna take a lot more than a few traffic centres to solve Bangkok's traffic problems.

[Thaising]

Charge vehicles for going into CBD as what Singapore and London did, these were definitely ease the traffics.

[moonoi]

Charge vehicles for going into CBD as what Singapore and London did, these were definitely ease the traffics.

Thats quite a stupid idea

Singapore and London have far better integrated public transport systems than here

However I can't comment on Singapore but London I can

Congestion Charging has solved nothing. All it has done is moved the traffic elsewhere (hence they want to increase the size of the zone) and created extra revenue for Red Ken and the GMC (ok I know that doesn't exist anymore but its not that disimmilar )

What TfL and Local Government should have done is to improve the mass transit system, make sure it could handle the extra passenger numbers and made it affordable to those using it. Before CC came in the LU was already overpriced, overcrowded and the Bus network inadequate to say the least. The buses have been improved but its still not enough.....basically in the UK CC is just a way to tax motorists more without solving the reasons the problem exists in the first place. But don't think I'm against charging...I think it can be used effectively as part as an overall traffic/transportation plan, but the London implementation is not one to shout about and has caused more problems than it was supposed to solve.

You should research CC in more detail, most cities in the UK have rejected it because there is no current alternative for people to use so they are currently in the process of building integrated public transport systems......some of those cities also believe that once these are complete there will still be no need to introduce CC.

For London....they should look more closely at Paris as a model for a closely intergrated mass public transport system that is cheap and affordable

Edited May 9, 2006 by moonoi

[Scott]

Interesting--what makes you think that all the schools are in the CBD? There are schools all over the city and the congestion extends far beyond the CBD!

Something needs to be done to make it easier for students to get to school without 1 child in each car. I am not looking forward to school opening!