Fatal accident on Kata Hill raises concerns about Patong Hill bus ban

[Lite Beer]

Fatal accident on Kata Hill raises concerns about Patong Hill bus ban
Phuket Gazette -

PHUKET: Yet another bus accident, this time killing a motorcyclist on the Kata Hill road yesterday morning, has raised concerns about increased bus traffic in the area after the controversial Patong Hill bus ban takes effect.

Worrapong Chaichomphu, 25, was travelling downhill toward Chalong when a bus travelling uphill crossed the center line and struck him in front of the Baan Kata School.

“The bus dragged the motorcycle for several meters before it stopped,” said Lt Chamaiporn Supakom of the Karon Police.

Mr Worrapong died en route to the hospital.

The bus driver, Banjerd Chuangsri, was charged with reckless driving causing death and destruction of property.

Once the trial ban on buses and trucks travelling west over Patong Hill begins, Patak Road over Kata Hill is likely to see an increase in bus traffic, as buses are forced to enter Patong via Chalong or Cherng Talay.

“I just heard the news that officials want to ban buses from travelling over Patong Hill,” Lt Chamaiporn said.

“I do not think this is a good idea. Accidents will be more likely on Kata Hill if more buses have to use it."

“I hope the officials find a better way to keep people safe on the roads,” he said.

Source: http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket_news/2014/Fatal-accident-on-Kata-Hill-raises-concerns-about-Patong-Hill-bus-ban-23282.html

-- Phuket Gazette 2014-01-14

[Shot]

When will they learn? When will it stop? When will they pull their head out of their ass? I've seen 3 dead people on the road in the past 4 months. I can't count how many accidents, including a lot of tourists who have no business riding a bike here. Just plain stupid.

How was your day?

Edited January 14, 2014 by LivinginKata

[LivinginKata]

Not quite understanding that report. Bike traveling downhill to Chalong makes no sense to me. My wife witnessed the aftermath and it would appear that bike was going downhill into Kata and the bus was going uphill towards Chalong and cut across the bend onto the other side of the road. This is something I see every day on the bend at Kata School. Some clip across the road onto the other side. I have even witnessed drivers cutting completely into the entire 2 downhill lanes. Total idiots.

[huuwi]

Not quite understanding that report. Bike traveling downhill to Chalong makes no sense to me. My wife witnessed the aftermath and it would appear that bike was going downhill into Kata and the bus was going uphill towards Chalong and cut across the bend onto the other side of the road. This is something I see every day on the bend at Kata School. Some clip across the road onto the other side. I have even witnessed drivers cutting completely into the entire 2 downhill lanes. Total idiots.

Looking at the picture, the bike is on the right side of the second lane, why blame the bus driver, he cant sped uphill.

[espinoza]

"The bus driver, Banjerd Chuangsri, was charged with reckless driving causing death and destruction of property." And when do we hear anything about the conviction of this reckless driver ??? Probably 500 bath fine. Go on drive bus.

[MMarlow]

Not quite understanding that report. Bike traveling downhill to Chalong makes no sense to me. My wife witnessed the aftermath and it would appear that bike was going downhill into Kata and the bus was going uphill towards Chalong and cut across the bend onto the other side of the road. This is something I see every day on the bend at Kata School. Some clip across the road onto the other side. I have even witnessed drivers cutting completely into the entire 2 downhill lanes. Total idiots.

Looking at the picture, the bike is on the right side of the second lane, why blame the bus driver, he cant sped uphill.

Well, the rear of the bus is clearly on the wrong side of the yellow lane marker and the report says that the bus dragged the bike for several metres before stopping. Do you not think it possible that the bus was trying to get back onto the correct side of the road after colliding with the bike?

[LivinginKata]

Not quite understanding that report. Bike traveling downhill to Chalong makes no sense to me. My wife witnessed the aftermath and it would appear that bike was going downhill into Kata and the bus was going uphill towards Chalong and cut across the bend onto the other side of the road. This is something I see every day on the bend at Kata School. Some clip across the road onto the other side. I have even witnessed drivers cutting completely into the entire 2 downhill lanes. Total idiots.

Looking at the picture, the bike is on the right side of the second lane, why blame the bus driver, he cant sped uphill.

I think you best look at that photo again. It's just as I said, the bus was most likely going fast to gain the momentum to get up the steeper part of the hill, unable to take the corner at speed, so just cut across the corner, motorbike coming down the hill on correct side of the road gets hit and dragged by the bus trying to get back over the yellow line. I see this sort of bus driving style many times every day at that bend. They never change down the gears to get up the hill, try try to stay in too high a gear and make a run at the hill. Often times they can't make it and stall the bus, and get stuck, usually in the outside lane.

[stevenl]

On the upside, here we have an official who is actually thinking straight. Because no doubt he is right, banning buses from patong hill will lead to accidents elsewhere. And both kamala and kata have hills that can be tricky to negotiate, the buses will get behind schedule so have to rush even more than usual.

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[eezergood]

I wait for the headlines...... ONLY 200 dead this year, new road safety measures are a success...... or some other such nonsense

Police doing policing would help, not in silly checkpoints but actually driving around? THEN enforcing the law rather than taking bribes

[huuwi]

Not quite understanding that report. Bike traveling downhill to Chalong makes no sense to me. My wife witnessed the aftermath and it would appear that bike was going downhill into Kata and the bus was going uphill towards Chalong and cut across the bend onto the other side of the road. This is something I see every day on the bend at Kata School. Some clip across the road onto the other side. I have even witnessed drivers cutting completely into the entire 2 downhill lanes. Total idiots.

Looking at the picture, the bike is on the right side of the second lane, why blame the bus driver, he cant sped uphill.

I think you best look at that photo again. It's just as I said, the bus was most likely going fast to gain the momentum to get up the steeper part of the hill, unable to take the corner at speed, so just cut across the corner, motorbike coming down the hill on correct side of the road gets hit and dragged by the bus trying to get back over the yellow line. I see this sort of bus driving style many times every day at that bend. They never change down the gears to get up the hill, try try to stay in too high a gear and make a run at the hill. Often times they can't make it and stall the bus, and get stuck, usually in the outside lane.

ok i did, cant see any scratch marks on the road. i know they try to keep there speed, but he had a uphill left turn before he comes into the uphill right turn ( agree he most likely cut the right turn corner) but i do not believe that he drag the bike that far leaving no marks on the road.

[madmitch]

Kata Hill is having more than its fair share of accidents recently. Two reported incidents early this week, several downhill slides from in front of the new electricity sub-station, this morning a seemingly helmetless motorcyclist lying static in the drainage ditch.

It isn't just Patong Hill that's the problem, it's Phuket's Hills in general.

[andreandre]

Not quite understanding that report. Bike traveling downhill to Chalong makes no sense to me. My wife witnessed the aftermath and it would appear that bike was going downhill into Kata and the bus was going uphill towards Chalong and cut across the bend onto the other side of the road. This is something I see every day on the bend at Kata School. Some clip across the road onto the other side. I have even witnessed drivers cutting completely into the entire 2 downhill lanes. Total idiots.

Looking at the picture, the bike is on the right side of the second lane, why blame the bus driver, he cant sped uphill.

I think you best look at that photo again. It's just as I said, the bus was most likely going fast to gain the momentum to get up the steeper part of the hill, unable to take the corner at speed, so just cut across the corner, motorbike coming down the hill on correct side of the road gets hit and dragged by the bus trying to get back over the yellow line. I see this sort of bus driving style many times every day at that bend. They never change down the gears to get up the hill, try try to stay in too high a gear and make a run at the hill. Often times they can't make it and stall the bus, and get stuck, usually in the outside lane.

ok i did, cant see any scratch marks on the road. i know they try to keep there speed, but he had a uphill left turn before he comes into the uphill right turn ( agree he most likely cut the right turn corner) but i do not believe that he drag the bike that far leaving no marks on the road.

IMO, sadly just another case of poor driving skills/abilities..the bus driver definately in the wrong for ''cutting the corner", but also the bike rider ...no way in the world that he should not have seen the approaching bus and taken proactive action [ it appears to have been a relatively slow impact speed ]....also when on a bike you have to understand and act accordingly, that you are at the bottom of the food chain regarding crashes..anything, from a large bus down to a sprinkling of sand or water on the road and every possible obstacle in between can put you in jeopardy so you have to be as defensive a rider as is humanly possible from the moment you start off on a ride to the moment you stop.

Stop blaming the roads..eg ..@ madmitch &@stevenl..tricky roads? Sorry , i don't agree at all..except under very rare circumstances where a situation may arise where a major road fault developes it is 100% down to the lack of skill and training and often, at times the old Thai mai pen rai [in LOS] that is the main contributing factor in road crashes.

Edited January 15, 2014 by andreandre

[steelepulse]

I have to agree with the bus cutting over into the oncoming traffic scenario. 95% of all vehicles do this at that location and it's not going to change anytime soon unfortunately unless they put a concrete barrier in the middle of the road.

[LivinginKata]

I have to agree with the bus cutting over into the oncoming traffic scenario. 95% of all vehicles do this at that location and it's not going to change anytime soon unfortunately unless they put a concrete barrier in the middle of the road.

When the authorities fitted the plastic bollards on the downhill curve into Chalong (after the fatal bus accident) I expected the authorities to do the same at the Kata School curve. Maybe after this latest fatality we will get some sort of action.

[stevenl]

Stop blaming the roads..eg ..@ madmitch &@stevenl..tricky roads?

Where did you read that? Mitch did not say that, and neither did I.

[andreandre]

Stop blaming the roads..eg ..@ madmitch &@stevenl..tricky roads?

Where did you read that? Mitch did not say that, and neither did I.

you said.".And both kamala and kata have hills that can be tricky to negotiate"

Unless you are 4wheel driving on tracks over these hills, you are using the roads..so i stand by what i posted.

Its the drivers/riders lack of basic skills, not the fact that hills [roads] can be tricky to negotiate that causes crashes

[mancub]

Any bend on any Thai road ,anywhere,anytime of day and you're guaranteed to meet vehicles negotiating it on the wrong side . Seems to be embedded in the unofficial highway code. It's part of the risk taking ,reckless driving mentality . It won't change and accidents are seen as an acceptable by-product ...until it affects personally.

[madmitch]

Stop blaming the roads..eg ..@ madmitch &@stevenl..tricky roads?

Where did you read that? Mitch did not say that, and neither did I.

It was not my intention to put the blame on the roads, though I still believe there's a problem near the sub-station.

Quite simply Thai drivers are not properly trained to drive on any road, let alone windy, hilly roads, and therein lies the problem.

[andreandre]

Stop blaming the roads..eg ..@ madmitch &@stevenl..tricky roads?

Where did you read that? Mitch did not say that, and neither did I.

It was not my intention to put the blame on the roads, though I still believe there's a problem near the sub-station.

Quite simply Thai drivers are not properly trained to drive on any road, let alone windy, hilly roads, and therein lies the problem.

Just the way i interpretted your post..and yes i agree 100% your last line;

That is the problem in a nutshell...doesn't matter on Phuket which choice of roads they use for entry to Patong the problem is still there... of poor driving skills/abilities

[eezergood]

And basically not giving a shit!

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[NamKangMan]

Stop blaming the roads..eg ..@ madmitch &@stevenl..tricky roads?

Where did you read that? Mitch did not say that, and neither did I.

It was not my intention to put the blame on the roads, though I still believe there's a problem near the sub-station.

Quite simply Thai drivers are not properly trained to drive on any road, let alone windy, hilly roads, and therein lies the problem.

Just the way i interpretted your post..and yes i agree 100% your last line;

That is the problem in a nutshell...doesn't matter on Phuket which choice of roads they use for entry to Patong the problem is still there... of poor driving skills/abilities

Then throw some Thai whiskey and/or beers on top of already poor driving skills, and the result is the road carnage we see almost on a daily basis here.

[honoluabay]

Ban busses all together. Both hills are very dangerous, but put shitty bus drivers behind the wheels and that's what you get. I live on Kata hill and have seen many many accident's. Nothing will change EVERas long as money is coming in. I have never taken a bus here and never will.

Good luck to all tourist.

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[jocko]

When I first come here (2000) i arrived on late flight booked hotel at airport counters they recommended Patong so of I went in Limo taxi I don't no nothing about Patong or its hill I am just sitting in the back looking out at the dark road and when we get to the hill I am thinking what a poor driver I have picked seemed to be in the wrong gear and I am wondering why he is driving in the middle of the road which was very quiet .

Yesterday got back from in-laws in Phang Nga after Chinese New Year wife's cousin driving my car (Good safe driver) first part of the journey is on very quiet good roads I am wondering why he is driving in the middle of the road.

Poor driving skills that's all there is to it .

Don't hold your breath for any quick fix.

[eezergood]

Thai drivers cannot take a bend & brake/accelerate whilst staying in 1 lane! Its a step too far for them