Longer training for Phuket L-drivers coming next year

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Longer training for Phuket L-drivers coming next year
Tanyaluk Sakoot


With the roads of Phuket becoming more crowded every day, better driver training is long overdue.

PHUKET: -- With the number of new cars and bikes on Phuket’s roads increasing by 500 to 700 a month, the Phuket Provincial Land Transport Office (PLTO) is to introduce a new, more comprehensive training course for learner drivers.

Currently, learner drivers have to undergo four hours of classroom training before being allowed to take their driving test. From next year that will increase to eight hours, Teerayut Prasertpol, Chief of the PLTO, told The Phuket News today (November 10).

Thatthiya Thisatthayaphitak, the PLTO’s Driving License Adviser said, “We will have higher quality training for new drivers.”

The training will consist of watching road safety and rules-of-the-road videos, along with lectures. It will not include actually driving on roads or on the PLTO’s track.

The number of people the PLTO will accept for driver training each week will be halved, said Ms Thatthiya, from the current 300 to 150.

However, the PLTO has already signed memoranda of understanding with Rajabhat University Phuket (in Phuket Town) and Chotima Driving School (in Kathu), who will offer the same driver training.

The PLTO has already made passing the driving test more difficult by introducing a more comprehensive multiple-choice on-screen questionnaire in June this year, with a higher percentage of correct answers required.

Whereas in the past people had to get 22 answers right out of 30 questions (73 per cent), from June 1 the number of questions rose to 50, with a score of 45 (90 per cent) required in order to pass.

From next year the practical part of the test, on the PLTO’s track, will be monitored by an array of lasers that will check the driver’s exact position anywhere on the track.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/longer-training-for-phuket-l-drivers-coming-next-year-49572.php


-- Phuket News 2014-11-11

[terryp]

From next year the practical part of the test, on the PLTO’s track, will be monitored by an array of lasers that will check the driver’s exact position anywhere on the track. ....what about on the ROADS

[ColdSingha]

"The training will consist of watching road safety and rules-of-the-road videos, along with lectures. It will not include actually driving on roads or on the PLTOs track."

most of the people were either asleep, playing on their phones or talking amongst themselves when i was tested last month. i fail to see how more of that will help their driving

Edited November 11, 2014 by ColdSingha

[Anders W Ferslev]

what about give them real driving class on the real road ?? min 30 hours of driving with a teacher

[12DrinkMore]

"The training will consist of watching road safety and rules-of-the-road videos, along with lectures. It will not include actually driving on roads or on the PLTOs track."

most of the people were either asleep, playing on their phones or talking amongst themselves when i was tested last month. i fail to see how more of that will help their driving

Yep, earlier this year I had to renew my license and was taken to a room to watch the safety video.

I thought it was OK, some good advice, watched the whole thing.

Nobody else watched it.

Phones, sleeping, talking or looking out of the window.

Not much hope, is there?

[Jonmarleesco]

'It will not include actually driving on roads ...' Which goes a long way towards explaining the low bar set on driving expectations, and standards, in the country.

[Pomthai]

I like this, all drivers monitored by lasers. Bad drivers vaporized. before they even get on the road. This is great news for Phuket.

Edited November 11, 2014 by Pomthai

[jpeg]

Are they going to teach them how to navigate a traffic circle? Currently they don't, even though there's one set up in the test area.

And can some canny inventor come up with some kind of bleeper/tazer? to remind them to LOOK before pulling out into traffic?

[Andre0720]

Here is something that won't change a thing....