Warning for out-of-Phuket tour buses and overloaded trucks

[webfact]

Warning for out-of-Phuket tour buses and overloaded trucks
Nattha Thepbamrung


Buses will be checked for mechanical condition at a new facility at the little-used Phuket Gateway. Photo Google Street View

PHUKET: -- Tour buses from other provinces parking in the wrong place and overloaded trucks will soon face heavy penalties, Vice Governor Jamroen Thippayapongtada has announced.

At a meeting on transport and traffic today (October 22) at Provincial Hall, Pol Col Sakchai Limcharoen, Deputy Provincial Police Commander, said, “There are many tour buses traveling around the island, mainly carrying Chinese and Russian tour groups. Most of them come from other provinces.

“Many of them take guests to entertainment venues or tourist attractions and park along the road, causing traffic problems, when they are actually obliged to drive away and park off the road.”

From now on, V/Gov Jamroen said, all tour buses coming into Phuket will be checked for mechanical condition and any bus driver who parks his vehicle at the side of the road faces arrest.

“[This behaviour] is a big concern not only because of the traffic jams they cause but also because of accidents, especially on steep roads such as Patong Hill,” he said.

“Buses bringing tourists into Phuket will be checked, as well as their drivers. We will order modern equipment for the checking mechanical condition and will set up a specific checkpoint to the north of the Tah Chat Chai checkpoint, at the Phuket Gateway.”

The Vice-Governor and Col Sakchai also agreed in the meeting that fines levied on overloaded trucks will be increased.

“There are many holes in the [island’s] roads caused by these overloaded trucks,” V.Gov Jamroen said. “Many of them are overloaded with dirt or stones and drop them on the road, causing traffic jams and accidents.

“In the first instance we will issued a warning to trucking companies whose vehicles are found to be overloaded. If the same vehicle is found to be overloaded again, the company will be fined many thousands of baht for each infringement.”

V/Gov Jamroen also mentioned that there are still not enough meter taxis on the island.

“We have set things up so that meter taxis can make round trips, so they can take tourists from the airport to other places and then pick others up for the return trip.”

However, he said he understands that almost all of the meter taxis station themselves at the airport, leaving a dearth of cabs elsewhere.

“We are looking for more taxi stands around the island. The Police Commander will specify these soon. We are trying to increase the number of meter taxis by making them confident they will be safe and guaranteeing a standard price that is slightly more expensive than Bangkok.

“I believe that if there are enough meter taxis, people will use their personal vehicles less, and this will help alleviate traffic problems.”

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/warning-for-out-of-phuket-tour-buses-and-overloaded-trucks-49284.php


-- Phuket News 2014-10-22

[uel1968]

They should enforce this over weight penalty more on the mainland,some of these drivers scratch their heads wondering why their springs and suspensions fail,oh my,i now realise i was overladen,and had no brakes,mmmmmm,only in Thailand.

[Sviss Geez]

They should enforce this over weight penalty more on the mainland,some of these drivers scratch their heads wondering why their springs and suspensions fail,oh my,i now realise i was overladen,and had no brakes,mmmmmm,only in Thailand.

Yes, Thailand is the only country in the world to have overloaded vehicles.

But you're right, only in Thailand, specifically on this forum will you get nonsense posts like yours.

[bongoz]

They should enforce this over weight penalty more on the mainland,some of these drivers scratch their heads wondering why their springs and suspensions fail,oh my,i now realise i was overladen,and had no brakes,mmmmmm,only in Thailand.

Yes, Thailand is the only country in the world to have overloaded vehicles.

But you're right, only in Thailand, specifically on this forum will you get nonsense posts like yours.

Just new on here are you?

This is the THAILAND forum you do realize?

And it's true many Thai truck drivers just don't comprehend the limitations and capacities of their trucks or how to maintain them.

OH!! I almost forgot, and how to drive them in a safe manner.

[razer]

Good news. Got my respect if they follow through on the claim.

[steelepulse]

I hate to be pessimistic on something as important as road safety, but if the track record over the past 10 years is any indication of this actually being enforced. it will happen for maybe a month, then be forgotten.

[KarenBravo]

I hate to be pessimistic on something as important as road safety, but if the track record over the past 10 30 years is any indication of this actually being enforced. it will happen for maybe a month, then be forgotten.

There!

Fixed that for you.......

[eezergood]

Good news. Got my respect if they follow through on the claim.

HOw long have you been here?

[KarenBravo]

Just another "bribe magnet".

[steelepulse]

I hate to be pessimistic on something as important as road safety, but if the track record over the past 10 30 years is any indication of this actually being enforced. it will happen for maybe a month, then be forgotten.

There!

Fixed that for you.......

Just seems to me the last 10 years have been really bad due to sheer numbers, but I agree that road safety has never been taken seriously, whether that's 10, 30 or 130 years as the ingrained way things are done hasn't appeared to change, nor does it appear so.

[KarenBravo]

Well, after a certain Phuket MP had the Phuket Gateway made for a total cost of 49 million baht which, when finished nobody used, it might as well be used for something.

Oh....the same lady MP is also responsible for the Patong Welome sign.

Love to know who the contractors were in both projects.......

[hansgruber]

It says for out of Phuket buses. Does that mean the local buses are exempt?

Sent from my LG-D858