Phuket police to enforce ban on bikes in new underpass

[webfact]

Phuket police to enforce ban on bikes in new underpass
Tanyaluk Sakoot


Uh oh. Try this from this week onwards and you are likely to be fined.

PHUKET: People riding or driving two-wheel or three-wheel transport – including bicycles, motorbikes, motorbikes with sidecars and classic three-wheel tuk-tuks – have been warned that they will be fined from this week onwards if they ride through the new Central Festival underpass.

Somkiet Yimpong, Project Engineer for the Central Festival underpass, said, “We put up the signs four or five days ago. We know that some riders are breaking the rules but it is up to the police to deal with that. However, there are CCTV cameras at the entrance at each end of the underpass.”

Pol Lt Col Ampon Chantanakul, superintendent of Vichit Police Station, said, “Two-wheel and three-wheel vehicle are not allow to go into the underpass. That’s an international standard.

“We have been working to stop people and warn them, because this might be new concept for some riders and drivers. But we will start applying the no-entry rules strictly this week.”

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-police-to-enforce-ban-on-bikes-in-new-underpass-52149.php

-- Phuket News 2015-05-04

[zaphod reborn]

Abiding by any international standard would be a new concept in Thailand.

[LivinginKata]

Be interesting to see if this is really enforced. Let's see if there is a police check point at each end....

[Just1Voice]

Abiding by any international standard would be a new concept in Thailand.

Abiding by ANY standard, other than "mai pen lai" would be a new concept in Thailand.

[dcutman]

Be interesting to see if this is really enforced. Let's see if there is a police check point at each end....

It will be sporadic enforcement as normal, and a good earner for sure in those money tight times usually mid and end of month.

[Anthony5]

Why is this news, shouldn't every law be enforced for that matter?

Oh silly me, I forgot in which banana republic we are.

[Argus Tuft]

I was there in the past hour. Stood on the overpass while I had an iced coffee, and watched the traffic for about 15 minutes. Counted 30+ bikes heading south through the tunnel, and just a few less going north in that time. Averaged around 2 a minute going in to the tunnel.

They will needs a fairly big presence over some days, physically stopping the bikes, to educate the masses. Those signage are not easy to make out if your concentrating on the road, so I can understand if people misses it.

[Cuchulainn]

I was there in the past hour. Stood on the overpass while I had an iced coffee, and watched the traffic for about 15 minutes. Counted 30+ bikes heading south through the tunnel, and just a few less going north in that time. Averaged around 2 a minute going in to the tunnel.

They will needs a fairly big presence over some days, physically stopping the bikes, to educate the masses. Those signage are not easy to make out if your concentrating on the road, so I can understand if people misses it.

Now THAT'S a new one, Argus!!

[Argus Tuft]

I was there in the past hour. Stood on the overpass while I had an iced coffee, and watched the traffic for about 15 minutes. Counted 30+ bikes heading south through the tunnel, and just a few less going north in that time. Averaged around 2 a minute going in to the tunnel.

They will needs a fairly big presence over some days, physically stopping the bikes, to educate the masses. Those signage are not easy to make out if your concentrating on the road, so I can understand if people misses it.

Now THAT'S a new one, Argus!!

My sincerest apologies....

...if you're concentrating on the road.

[casualbiker]

I gotta ask WHY are they banned... That's the bit that makes no sense!

[Mises]

If it is an international standard then the UK must have missed it. There are numerous underpasses or tunnels here including the Dartford tunnel that allow motorcycles, in fact I don't know of one that does not allow them. What is the reason for not allowing motorcycles?

[Argus Tuft]

I gotta ask WHY are they banned... That's the bit that makes no sense!

Thanks. Thought I was the only one wondering why this is such a big deal. Not a long tunnel for a start.

The 'international standards' statement as the reason for banning bikes line is drawing a long bow.

[Cuchulainn]

I was there in the past hour. Stood on the overpass while I had an iced coffee, and watched the traffic for about 15 minutes. Counted 30+ bikes heading south through the tunnel, and just a few less going north in that time. Averaged around 2 a minute going in to the tunnel.

They will needs a fairly big presence over some days, physically stopping the bikes, to educate the masses. Those signage are not easy to make out if your concentrating on the road, so I can understand if people misses it.

Now THAT'S a new one, Argus!!

My sincerest apologies....

...if you're concentrating on the road.

No. Not that!! It's the concept of Thais concentrating on the road!!

[Argus Tuft]

No. Not that!! It's the concept of Thais concentrating on the road!!

Yeah, I know, I got it the first time. Just having some fun buddy.

And in the interest of balance, it's not just some Thais who don't concentrate while driving - plenty of foreigners clueless on the road too...

Edited May 4, 2015 by Argus Tuft

[tingtongfarang]

Not sure where they get the international standards part from, thailand is the only country i rode where bikes are banned from underpasses or elevated roads, or tollways come to that.

[CarolJadzia]

Problem is knee jerk reactions to the growing motorcycle accident rates.

There is case history for this from the UK. The Leg protector fiasco in the 70's springs to mind.

Better driver and rider training and proper traffic police doing their job is the answer.

[tingtongfarang]

Problem is knee jerk reactions to the growing motorcycle accident rates.

There is case history for this from the UK. The Leg protector fiasco in the 70's springs to mind.

Better driver and rider training and proper traffic police doing their job is the answer.

I think they base the laws on times when a honda c50 or other mopeds were the wheels of asia.

[ataloss]

I ride my motorcycle through Thai underpasses all the time - have been for years; what's with the police restriction?

[CarolJadzia]

I ride my motorcycle through Thai underpasses all the time - have been for years; what's with the police restriction?

Obviously you have suddenly become a danger to other road users. Best give up motorcycling and walk!

Unfortunately it is going to take more people to die and the situation to worsen before things will improve.

Authorities still barking up the wrong trees.

[retell]

Its also international law to not drive against traffic in whatsoever kind of transportation device

[TheKnave]

I gotta ask WHY are they banned... That's the bit that makes no sense!

They're banned because they allow bikes to bypass the intersection, where the BIB operate their daily extortion racket. Period.

[stevenl]

I gotta ask WHY are they banned... That's the bit that makes no sense!

They're banned because they allow bikes to bypass the intersection, where the BIB operate their daily extortion racket. Period.

Never seen any bib there fining people. Extortion would be something different anyway.

[clockman]

Thainess, in action!

[Argus Tuft]

They're banned because they allow bikes to bypass the intersection, where the BIB operate their daily extortion racket. Period.

Never seen any bib there fining people. Extortion would be something different anyway.

Me too. I could name several hot spots where the BIB have regular traffic blitzes and pull over a lot of bikes for an hour or two each time - but the Central intersection ain't one of them.

Besides, with TheKnave's logic, they could simply move their 'daily extortion racket' to either end of the tunnel.

[realenglish1]

International Standards?-Thailand Your kidding right ?

[razer]

Thainess is to ignore traffic laws unless police are visibly present. I see this every day on overpasses in BKK.

This initiative will require cops on duty at the underpass 24/7.

[JetsetBkk]

Thainess is to ignore traffic laws unless police are visibly present. I see this every day on overpasses in BKK.

This initiative will require cops on duty at the underpass 24/7.

or... they could use the CCTV cameras.

[LivinginKata]

Thainess is to ignore traffic laws unless police are visibly present. I see this every day on overpasses in BKK.

This initiative will require cops on duty at the underpass 24/7.

or... they could use the CCTV cameras.

That assumes those bikes on CCTV are legally registered to the driver and that the owner pays the road tax each year. A tall order, and meantime the bike drives through the tunnel without knowing any penalty is due.

[stevenl]

Thainess is to ignore traffic laws unless police are visibly present. I see this every day on overpasses in BKK.

This initiative will require cops on duty at the underpass 24/7.

or... they could use the CCTV cameras.

That assumes those bikes on CCTV are legally registered to the driver and that the owner pays the road tax each year. A tall order, and meantime the bike drives through the tunnel without knowing any penalty is due.

doesn't have to be registered to the driver, the legal owner will have to pay.

I know people only driving locally sometimes don't renew their registration yearly, but I'd think that at that location there won't be very many unregistered bikes riding around.

[catweazle]

Good luck, but thanks for trying...