Phuket: Patong one-way system to change?

[webfact]

Phuket: Patong one-way system to change?
Tanyaluk Sakoot


If the plan is approved, Traffic on the beach road (Thaweewong Rd) will flow in the opposite direction.

PHUKET: -- A new one-way system in Patong was being considered by police and Patong Municipality today (September 18).

If the plan is approved, traffic on Thaweewong Rd, which is currently north-bound only, will be switched to south-bound only.

Rat-U-Thit 200 Pi Rd will do the opposite; it is currently south-bound only but woud be reversed to be north-bound only.

All the connecting roads between these two roads will be two-way. These are; Soi Chalermphrakiet, Soi Haad Patong, Sawatdirak Rd, Bangla Rd, and Soi Ruamjai.

Phang Muang Sai Gor Rd will remain unchanged, but three roads between it and Rat-U-Thit 200 Pi Rd will be two-way. They are Soi Sai Nam Yen, Soi Sansabai and Soi Water Treatment.

Pol Col Jiraphat Pochanapan, superintendent of Kathu Police, told The Phuket News, “It will be a new way of driving. A public meeting will be held tomorrow afternoon (September 19, at Patong Municipality) so that members of the public can give their views on the proposal.”

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/patong-one-way-system-to-change-48790.php


-- Phuket News 2014-09-19

[LivinginKata]

Hardly a new plan - this was the planed change last year that never happened.

[schlog]

The plan is not better because of being older then last year. Concentrate on nonrelevant issues is a strenght of Kathu BIB.

[Valentine]

I thought they did change it a few years back but got stopped by the tuk tuks. Road arrows were changed & stayed pointing the wrong way for a while after they reversed the decision.

[steelepulse]

That's a motley crew picture. I hope this was taken pre clean up and not recently with all of the "public transport" vehicles taking up all the parking.

[madmitch]

I really can't see how it can work at the southern end. Turning left from Ray-U-Thit is logical. Turning right into Rat-U-Thit isn't.

But I said the same when this was proposed a couple of years ago.

[kinmaew]

if they got rid of those <deleted> as hole taxi drivers there would be more space.

[Ulic]

Anybody who has been there and driven around on a scooter knows this is the correct plan and the way to go. This is not

a new plan but the taxi/tuk tuk drivers have resisted it like crazy. Easier to bilk short time tourist under the old configuration. Hopefully

under the new administration this plan will finally stick. Years in the changing. I will cross my fingers.

[stevenl]

Why don't they just keep the main roads the same and only add 2-way for all the in between sois?

[NamKangMan]

That's a motley crew picture. I hope this was taken pre clean up and not recently with all of the "public transport" vehicles taking up all the parking.

I think this photo typifies "public transport" on Phuket quite well.

You have the coach bus transporting a large number of package holiday tourists around, and the other tourists walking to their destination.

Watching on, you have a tuk-tuk driver and taxi driver standing/sitting there, doing nothing, except for taking up all the parking, waiting in the hope of ripping off just one tourist for well over the average Thai's daily salary.

[Roel]

Why don't they just keep the main roads the same and only add 2-way for all the in between sois?

Because that won't work. For example when you drive through Haad Patong Road towards Beach Road how are you going to turn right when at the same time traffic on Beach Road coming from the south wants to turn right into Haad Patong Road. Impossible. They have to change directions as proposed. Haad Patong to Beach Road turn left, no problem. Coming from the north over Beach Road and turning left into Haad Patong Road. No problem.

[stevenl]

Why don't they just keep the main roads the same and only add 2-way for all the in between sois?

Because that won't work. For example when you drive through Haad Patong Road towards Beach Road how are you going to turn right when at the same time traffic on Beach Road coming from the south wants to turn right into Haad Patong Road. Impossible. They have to change directions as proposed. Haad Patong to Beach Road turn left, no problem. Coming from the north over Beach Road and turning left into Haad Patong Road. No problem.

If this change in direction is necessary to make 2-way traffic on the in between sois work, sounds good to me then.

[KarenBravo]

Why don't they just keep the main roads the same and only add 2-way for all the in between sois?

Because it requires drivers to drive on the right-hand side of the road.

This was the original reason for it to change, because it contravenes Thailand's rules of the road.

If you switch direction, the two way sois become correct, driving on the left.

[Roel]

As I illustrated above using highly sophisticated visualization software.

[KarenBravo]

As I illustrated above using highly sophisticated visualization software.

Sorry, didn't scroll down that far before replying to stevenl.

[NomadJoe]

I thought they did change it a few years back but got stopped by the tuk tuks. Road arrows were changed & stayed pointing the wrong way for a while after they reversed the decision.

North end of beach road they are still there. The decision to cancel the change came literally the morning of the change after local officials caved, yet again, to threats by the tuk tuk mafia to blockade the streets.

[LivinginKata]

I thought they did change it a few years back but got stopped by the tuk tuks. Road arrows were changed & stayed pointing the wrong way for a while after they reversed the decision.

North end of beach road they are still there. The decision to cancel the change came literally the morning of the change after local officials caved, yet again, to threats by the tuk tuk mafia to blockade the streets.

With the new regime I doubt any blockage threat would be tolerated.

[NomadJoe]

I thought they did change it a few years back but got stopped by the tuk tuks. Road arrows were changed & stayed pointing the wrong way for a while after they reversed the decision.

North end of beach road they are still there. The decision to cancel the change came literally the morning of the change after local officials caved, yet again, to threats by the tuk tuk mafia to blockade the streets.

With the new regime I doubt any blockage threat would be tolerated.

Perhaps that's why they are making the change now.