Transport Min to whip out plans to ease traffic jam in big cities

BANGKOK, 5November 2014 (NNT) – The Ministry of Transport is preparing to propose a number of measures for tackling traffic congestion in major provinces to the Commission for the Management of Road Traffic for consideration.

Deputy Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith stated that the ministry has tasked the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning and other related agencies to complete their strategies for the alleviation of traffic gridlock in Bangkok as well as six other provinces, namely Chiang Mai, Phuket, Nakhon Ratchasima, Khon Kaen, Phitsanulok and Songkhla. Upon completion, the strategies will be subject to thorough studies by the Commission for the Management of Road Traffic.

According to the deputy minister, some of the measures seek to raise the efficiency of traffic management around construction sites of railway and electric train projects. The agencies in charge of those projects, such as the State Railway of Thailand and the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand, will be obligated to work closely with the city officials and the police to ensure a smooth traffic flow.

Another project being mulled is the construction of nine additional bridges across the Chao Phraya River which aims to relieve congestion on the existing bridges during rush hours and improve connectivity between inner Bangkok and the Thon Buri side. According to the initial work plan, the new bridges will be built during 2017-2021.


-- NNT 2014-11-05

What?????,believe it when i see it.

I know this is really shooting for the moon but how about this novel idea, ENFORCE TRAFFIC LAWS! This could prevent six lines of traffic forming on two lane roads. It might just keep people from driving on the shoulders of the roads. It could possible make driving seem less like stampeding.

It takes years of planning.... not a few whipped up proposals.

Whip some of this up.

Renege tax rebates on 'first-time' car buyers. That'll get a few wheels off the streets. Particularly where CM is concerned, I would limit the amount of red songthaews in the city; they are a nuisance for the most part.

Grid lock in Khon Kaen? Hardly.

Stop building and move the ridiculous central on the main junction would be a solution.

Anyone recall a certain newly elected selected via the party list M.P.'s plan to have helicopters on hand to remove stalled and broken down vehicles from busy intersections and the roads in general in Bangkok some fair few years ago?

There is a link, however you need to subscribe to read it,.

Oh ... this so fits the headline

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIEVqFB4WUo

"Whip it. Whip it good."

Guffaw. How many times have we heard this guff? How many times has nothing been done or achieved?

Still, I guess the committee(s) will get their photo ops. and a trip or three abroad on pointless 'fact finding' shopping trips.

The Thais are going to 'whip out" a plan. What a laugher. Which is more funny, the Thai press or the Thai minister who will do the whipping out?

uel1968, on 05 Nov 2014 - 06:47, said:

What?????,believe it when i see it.

To be able to "manage" traffic, first they need to know how much traffic there is, I'll guarantee their can't provide reliable figures... when did you last see any traffic counters. Secondly, you need the expertise, really experts, not "Thai expertise", to analyse the traffic and traffic flow and be able to design "effective" measures.

Promises, promises.

When in doubt . . . . .

Consulting with a traffic engineer might be an idea to be considered. Whoops! In the whole of Thailand I doubt there is one.

Well one of course could look back a few years to when Peak Traffic Management Systems from the U.K won the contract to install a computer controlled traffic system herein Bangkok.

As soon as cables went down they were ripped up by parties who were concerned about their loss of income from traffic laws infringements real or imaginary.

One of my employees partner was involved in the installation process and the tales he told relating to missing equipment and unexplained delays along with a total lack of co-operation was indeed a tragic saga.

The Thais are going to 'whip out" a plan. What a laugher. Which is more funny, the Thai press or the Thai minister who will do the whipping out?

Normally in Parliament it is the job of the chief whip, the man who's supposed to "put a bit of stick around". Under the present circumstances it might be Gunnery Sgt Major Somchai.

In the U.K., where they are more civilized, all MPs are familiar with certain persons who may be referred to as Madame Whippersnapper, and she generally gets to the bottom of things..

Get rid of cars. Particularly bloody SUVs. Convert all roads to light rail. Everywhere. A great big metal box transporting just one person, usually at speed, from A to B is anathema to common sense. Would do away with mine's bigger/more expensive than yours' mentality also.

Build some roads, the cars need a place to drive. 8 million cars in a city the size of Bangkok is not too much. There is simply no where for them to drive.

Traffic congestion occurs because many people travel at the same time towards the same places. People travel during traditional business hours inbound because of "attraction" centers for shopping and employment; then outbound for residences. The resulting congestion is not driven particularly by the mode of transportation.Traffic also tends to increase with avenues of higher capacity - build a road or light rail and it will fill up.

This paradigm can be positively change such as:

1. Diversify employment center locations

2. Diversify employment center operations, ie., multiple work shifts and staggered work hours

3. Provide positive incentives not to travel to employment centers, ie., more paid holidays and vacation

4. Provide for satellite work locations supplemented with multi-media access to main employment centers

4. Decentralize attraction center locations

5. Provide more residential living at attraction sites

6. Reduce personal access to employment and attraction centers

7. Plan nonlinear "leapfrog" urbanization (ie., establish new central points in unobvious directions) vs. linear urbanization (ie., straight out from a central point)

If the Ministry is serious about change, it should not rely on "whipping" out plans but approach traffic issues with careful and expert deliberation.

I would start with television broadcast... Short video segments showing how to make proper turns at intersections instead of blocking the whole road... Many Thais do not park they just stop driving with little or no consideration for other traffic.... My favorite is on a two lane road two cars park abeam each other and make the narrow two lane into a tight single lane almost impassible for anything but a very small car or motorcycle... Many of the problems stem from some of the older cities having roads that were made when 3 wheel pedal cabs ruled the roads. The only fix for that IMO are one way traffic/roads.. Parking and business districts are very problematic in older towns so unless the government wants to buy a place and turn it into a parking lot on particular streets there is very little to be done other than previously mentioned. . Even on major roads the turn around /U-turns are so far apart that you see everything from motorcycles to trucks going the wrong way on a shoulder.

The television broadcast should be done during the morning and nightly news service... Start there and educate the population on what is expected.. It is easier to go after peoples money through get tough policies but in actuality, education, and the 'why' things need to be done a certain way, usually works for people. Educate first and then lower the boom on the one's who believe they don't need no stinking rules ....

Leave Pattaya out of it...there's no congestion here. It's easier to leave your car at home and take your motorbike into town, but then you leave yourself open to potential injury from other motorists. Pattaya has grown so much and nothing has been really done to relieve any traffic congestion except to build the road that runs along the railroad tracks.

Leave Pattaya out of it...there's no congestion here. It's easier to leave your car at home and take your motorbike into town, but then you leave yourself open to potential injury from other motorists. Pattaya has grown so much and nothing has been really done to relieve any traffic congestion except to build the road that runs along the railroad tracks.

You mean the brilliant stretch of road where everyone has the right of way no matter which direction they are coming from !!!!!