CM Traffic solution= more tuktuks?

[jaideeguy]

Just read this on google news and It's so short that I'll copy and paste the article as well as provide a link. <removed>

Sorry, but the Bangkok Post won't let me copy and paste the entire article but it says that 50 red tuktuks are going to be added to the existing traffic snarl to relieve traffic?? Seems to be yet another tourism promotion that is un thought out...............

Edited March 29, 2014 by onthedarkside
link removed - forum rule 26

[eyecatcher]

The easiest way to ease traffic congestion would be to make it illegal to drive a vehicle without a full (passed driving rest) licence.

make driving offences incur penalty points leading to licence revoking at x points.

Revoke licence immediately for drink driving, and under influence of drugs.

You know, us westerners must have lived in a fantasy world to come up with these ideas.

[uptheos]

I read somewhere that the red tuk tuks are to be put into service in the town centre, so I'm unclear if that means they have a certain radius, route and price. Apparently they are being operated by The Lanna Red Motor Cycle Cooperative whatever that is and apparently have an improved safety design. Each one will have the drivers registration on display and a telephone number for complaints, so there will be no need to whinge on TV.

[khwaibah]

Easy solution...move.

[daoyai]

The new red tuks are quieter, cleaner and roomier so if they replace the older ones, it is a good move.

[Spoonman]

The easiest way to ease traffic congestion would be to make it illegal to drive a vehicle without a full (passed driving rest) licence.

make driving offences incur penalty points leading to licence revoking at x points.

Revoke licence immediately for drink driving, and under influence of drugs.

You know, us westerners must have lived in a fantasy world to come up with these ideas.

There is a points system on Thai driver licences already. needs to be enforced.

[uptheos]

The new red tuks are quieter, cleaner and roomier so if they replace the older ones, it is a good move.

Indeed, but it will be interesting to read if there's a different fare expectation.

[khwaibah]

The new red tuks are quieter, cleaner and roomier so if they replace the older ones, it is a good move.

Side bet. You will see the same old tuk tuks ruining about 1-2-3 years from now.

[andreandre]

The new red tuks are quieter, cleaner and roomier so if they replace the older ones, it is a good move.

Talking to a tuk tuk driver a couple of weeks ago said that 50 new ones were to be added to the citys fleet.

They are a whole new design and have modern engines..no more tuk tuk noise and the smoke that came with it.

They are not replacing the older ones..different co-op.

Possible turf wars on the horizon?

[jaideeguy]

"They are not replacing the older ones..different co-op."

= 50 more vehicles on the already over crowded roads.

[northernjohn]

I read somewhere that the red tuk tuks are to be put into service in the town centre, so I'm unclear if that means they have a certain radius, route and price. Apparently they are being operated by The Lanna Red Motor Cycle Cooperative whatever that is and apparently have an improved safety design. Each one will have the drivers registration on display and a telephone number for complaints, so there will be no need to whinge on TV.

Yes the article said the down town city. I see them waiting at the central festival. They have a flat rate of 150 baht there no matter where you go..

They are easier to see out of but for myself a little hard to get into. I have a bad knee and unlike the smaller ones when you get in you can just sit down. These you must remain bent over and take a step back to sit down. OK for some I guess. Defiantly a better view and more leg room. Not sure about the price for other routes.

[FolkGuitar]

While the numbers have decreased for the Chinese tourists, when the are here they all seem to want to take the 'Tuk-Tuk Tour!' It's common to see a convoy of 10-20 tuk-tuks weaving through traffic as the tour meanders through city streets. Most of them are the old tuk-tuks so the visitors really have to scrunch down in their seats to see anything. Unfortunately, with three people in the back seat, it's tough to scrunch! Very clever marketing!

[uptheos]

While the numbers have decreased for the Chinese tourists, when the are here they all seem to want to take the 'Tuk-Tuk Tour!' It's common to see a convoy of 10-20 tuk-tuks weaving through traffic as the tour meanders through city streets. Most of them are the old tuk-tuks so the visitors really have to scrunch down in their seats to see anything. Unfortunately, with three people in the back seat, it's tough to scrunch! Very clever marketing!

Yes, they like to go back in time.......very nostalgic are the Chinese.

Too bad we don't have rickshaws, they would make a killing now in Chiang Mai.

[FolkGuitar]

Rickshaws have become a very popular tourist ride in Kyoto these days. Young men dressed in old traditional garb pull tourists around for an hour's tour through the temple-filled streets in the older parts of the city. Much flatter streets here so it really could work... if you could find enough young people with the 'work ethic' to show up every day.

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[uptheos]

Rickshaws have become a very popular tourist ride in Kyoto these days. Young men dressed in old traditional garb pull tourists around for an hour's tour through the temple-filled streets in the older parts of the city. Much flatter streets here so it really could work... if you could find enough young people with the 'work ethic' to show up every day.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Kyoto still has many charming places, that it would be a very nice and interesting experience.

Chiang Mai doesn't have the charm of those particular old Kyoto streets.

Being pulled through a crowded back street, with smog belching through your mask isn't quite the same.

The work ethic one is good, rickshaw drivers used to trot, you'll be lucky to find a young Thai who would walk!

[Ulysses G.]

I had heard the Kyoto was one of the most beautiful cities in the world. I was shocked to find it quite ugly. Like Chiang Mai, the temples are lovely, but the city itself is not.

[KRS1]

cnx needs mocyc taxis, like in bkk.

why they would want to add more tuk tuks that over charge and squeeze everything they can out of you is beyond me.

[CNXBKKMAN]

Buses, bus stops and bus lanes would be a logical step for chiang mai. The fact that there isn't some kind of bus network in place tells you chiang mai has no rational transport policy in place or policy at all!

Over the last few weeks when there was talk of chiang mai and the north splitting from the rest of Thailand and becoming the country of Lanna I noticed the new tuk tuks. They are quite smart looking , painted bright red( why red?) and in big letters "Lanna" written on the back. The two things happened at the same time. To me it reflected the way Thailand seemed to be moving.

[Ulysses G.]

The fact that there isn't some kind of bus network in place tells you chiang mai has no rational transport policy in place or policy at all!

There are CM buses, but they have changed the routes so often that most people do not know which ones to take. I gave up on them long ago.

Edited March 29, 2014 by Ulysses G.

[FolkGuitar]

I had heard the Kyoto was one of the most beautiful cities in the world. I was shocked to find it quite ugly. Like Chiang Mai, the temples are lovely, but the city itself is not.

Like so many large cities, the downtown area is rather ugly. But the hillside Higashiyama district and the north-western Arashiyama districts are spectacular, as are several 'pocket' communities scattered around. Here are a couple of snapshots I took just before coming back to Chiang Mai.

Edited March 29, 2014 by FolkGuitar

[jaideeguy]

While the numbers have decreased for the Chinese tourists, when the are here they all seem to want to take the 'Tuk-Tuk Tour!' It's common to see a convoy of 10-20 tuk-tuks weaving through traffic as the tour meanders through city streets. Most of them are the old tuk-tuks so the visitors really have to scrunch down in their seats to see anything. Unfortunately, with three people in the back seat, it's tough to scrunch! Very clever marketing!

Yes, they like to go back in time.......very nostalgic are the Chinese.

Too bad we don't have rickshaws, they would make a killing now in Chiang Mai.

Yeah, one more vehicle to dodge along with the tuktuks, motorcycles, Chinese on bicycles, pedestrian tourists, vendors on wheels etc. It's almost as if the roads are not meant to be used by cars........

[worgeordie]

I hope they don't meet the same fate as those buses they bought

a few years ago,they were going to run regular routes around Chiang

Mai,but they forgot to get "permission" from the Songtow drivers and

they just stood still for a couple of years doing nothing.

When they finally got going the routes that the Songtow drivers let them

run where not viable, there are several at the bus station, left to rot away,

just hope they have "permission" for these Tuk Tuks as I suspect they

could have the same fate or start a transport war.

regards Worgeordie

[Ulysses G.]

I miss the old yellow buses. They were not air con, but very cheap and very useful routes that they stuck to. They were great for going long distances.

[CNXBKKMAN]

I remember the buses that used to run to a shinwatra housing estate somewhere around 2003. Since I have been in CM I have never seen any city buses criss crossing the city as you might expect to see in normal city. You can see the bus stops from way back when there was buses running. They look the same style as bangkok bus stops. I expect the songtao drivers and tuk tuks have the power to protect their business never mind if its to the detriment of the city.

[CNXBKKMAN]

I miss the old yellow buses. They were not air con, but very cheap and very useful routes that they stuck to. They were great for going long distances.

Are they pre 2000?

[Ulysses G.]

Probably, but I'm not really sure. I get confused about the timing of a lot of the changes in Chiang Mai. I do know that there are still the newer buses, because I see them all the time when riding around. I just have no idea what routes they run anymore.

[CNXBKKMAN]

There used to be a bus that ran from arcade to the airport. Too infrequent and you would waste to much time waiting for it. I think you need a certain number of buses and routes, frequencies for them to be useful. There's plenty of locals, school kids and farangs who a 5-10 baht bus fare would be welcome.

[northernjohn]

I hope they don't meet the same fate as those buses they bought

a few years ago,they were going to run regular routes around Chiang

Mai,but they forgot to get "permission" from the Songtow drivers and

they just stood still for a couple of years doing nothing.

When they finally got going the routes that the Songtow drivers let them

run where not viable, there are several at the bus station, left to rot away,

just hope they have "permission" for these Tuk Tuks as I suspect they

could have the same fate or start a transport war.

regards Worgeordie

start a transport war

That had crossed my mind also. But at the prices they are charging they might price themselves out of business when the low season comes. I know so far they have increased some of the old fixed rates to the airport mall and I can't believe that 150 baht would be the price for the Central Festival if it wasn't for those with better visibility. going to be interesting to see what happens after Songkhran.

[A1Str8]

The easiest way to ease traffic congestion would be to make it illegal to drive a vehicle without a full (passed driving rest) licence.

make driving offences incur penalty points leading to licence revoking at x points.

Revoke licence immediately for drink driving, and under influence of drugs.

You know, us westerners must have lived in a fantasy world to come up with these ideas.

It's not going to be done in Thailand because that would make the roads empty.

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[sfokevin]

The new red tuks are quieter, cleaner and roomier so if they replace the older ones, it is a good move.

You say that now... But in 5 years of the same maintenance schedule they put the old ones through they will spew out twice the pollution and take up twice the space as the ones that are cobbling up the city center...