Major operator gathering aims to improve public transport serving Pattaya

[Rimmer]

Major operator gathering aims to improve public transport serving Pattaya

PATTAYA:--Chonburi tourism officials and area tourism associations are bringing together at least 80 percent of the transportation providers serving Pattaya later this month for a workshop on how to provide better service and reduce complaints.

Ampai Sakdanukuljit Sliwinski, chief of promotion and development for the province’s Tourism and Sports Department, said the Aug. 20 meeting at the Long Beach Garden Hotel & Spa will be attended by at least 400 bus, minivan, taxi, tour guides and other firms offering public transport to tourists and locals.

The meeting, co-sponsored by the Pattaya Business and Tourism Association, Thai Hotels Association Eastern Chapter, Food & Beverage Management Association Eastern Region, and Chonburi Attractions Club, also will include representatives from related government agencies and business groups.

- See more at: http://www.pattayamail.com/news/major-operator-gathering-aims-to-improve-public-transport-serving-pattaya-49791#sthash.v2f7oJk0.dpuf

-- Pattaya Mail 2015-08-07

[Jingthing]

Turn on the meters in the Taxi meters. Yes, we know the fares can't be as low as Bangkok but they should be able to drive around and pick up fares anywhere and the meters can be set at a reasonable level much less than the charter levels they all use now (and which means they sit idle most of the time).

Next ...

[ehs818]

Prohibit the tourist buses from anywhere west of Third Road!

[WitawatWatawit]

This is great news. They're having a meeting.

[dotpoom]

Turn on the meters in the Taxi meters. Yes, we know the fares can't be as low as Bangkok but they should be able to drive around and pick up fares anywhere and the meters can be set at a reasonable level much less than the charter levels they all use now (and which means they sit idle most of the time).

Next ...

Yes, our own Taxis back home objected strongly to the Taxi regulator increasing the fares...the Taxi men (women) would have preferred a huge decrease in fares, almost on par with the public transport services (busses, trains etc.,) and be allowed to pick up at bus stops where people could share taxis going to or coming from work. If that were the case, the taxis would be going non-stop nearly all day. The fare increase went ahead, presumably to keep them from coming into competition with said public transport.

[Jingthing]

With 10 baht truck fares there's a lot of room for competition.

[prakhonchai nick]

In the 29 years I have been in Thailand, this subject has been discussed time and time again

Bus stops were erected on Beach Road specifically for baht buses, who would only be permitted to pick up and drop off at these locations. It never worked, and was not policed. Much the same as the Beach Road traffic lights, which nobody ever stopped for.

Big buses were introduced but ceased when threatened by the baht bus mafia.

Nothing will ever change! Far too many vested interests!

[Sydebolle]

A cab from the dark side to beach road clocks THB 400 - THB 500 - and by cab I am talking of one of those converted blue cattle carriers while the "illegal" white plated brethren charge THB 800 to Swampy - the mind boggles and proves once more again the mechanical failure of certain people's brains.
More meetings - more bull; simple as that!

[Jingthing]

Optimism is not advisable.

[circusman]

They don't have good brains but insist on using them.

[Benmart]

Eventually, Pattaya traffic will strangle itself in a gridlock of ineffective and weak governance.

[MZurf]

This is great news. They're having a meeting.

Yes, they're good at that....

[emilymat]

Eventually, Pattaya traffic will strangle itself in a gridlock of ineffective and weak governance.

[Basil B]

Eventually, Pattaya traffic will strangle itself in a gridlock of ineffective and weak governance.

Something like what happened 19th April 2003 on Jomtien Beach road... 4 lanes of traffic ...each direction meet somewhere around soi 9, and I was stuck in it

[newnative]

How can you 'improve' something that isn't there? There is no PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION in Pattaya. There are PRIVATE businesses providing some transportation services but many streets and areas of the city are not served on any regular basis. The city is big enough that it should have its own public bus and mini bus transportation system but that's probably not going to happen anytime soon. But, for a start, it would be an improvement if t he city reorganized the whole baht truck taxi service and required the baht trucks to run regular, fixed routes on both the current roads now served and roads not currently being served, possibly starting with roads like Pratamnak and the sois off it, Jomtien Second Road, Thepprasit, etc. I know you can hire a baht truck or regular taxi to take you somewhere but this would be better with the baht trucks running regular, fixed routes. Someone could walk out of View Talay 3, for example, and know that a baht truck would be along on Pratamnak soi 6 to take them to Pattaya or Jomtien.

[Basil B]

As for a meeting to improve Pattaya's public transport ...

Just do not hold your breath waiting for any improvements... normally such meetings consist of people who could not organise a piss up in a brewery

[stoli]

Prohibit the tourist buses from anywhere west of Third Road!

Even the tourist buses that are trying to take the tourist back to their hotel on Beach Road after a day at Nong Nooch? Do they also pick-up those same tourists on 3rd Road? These are groups of people that have traveled great distances to visit Thailand & Pattaya. Do they not count? I understand the frustration with them, but not your off the cuff solution.

[Asiantravel]

" will be attended by at least 400 bus, minivan, taxi, tour guides and other firms offering public transport to tourists and locals ".

regarding public transport by minivans:-

a considerable improvement could be achieved by increasing the chances of the passenger actually reaching their desired destination safely and in one piece i.e. if drivers can be taught not to tailgate the vehicle in front while speeding and incessantly talking on their mobile telephone all at the same time

[NoshowJones]

Prohibit the tourist buses from anywhere west of Third Road!

What do you want the Chinese to do, walk? Well it won't cost them anything.

[phantomfiddler]

Don,t understand any need for improvement ! In my opinion the best transport system of any city I have ever been in. Where else can you wait, for usually less than 1 minute, then be delivered very close to where you want to go, for a mere 10 Bht ?? My only observation is that there does seem to be an excess of the baht buses, often contributing to traffic congestion, but apart from that .... right on !

[Jingthing]

Don,t understand any need for improvement ! In my opinion the best transport system of any city I have ever been in. Where else can you wait, for usually less than 1 minute, then be delivered very close to where you want to go, for a mere 10 Bht ?? My only observation is that there does seem to be an excess of the baht buses, often contributing to traffic congestion, but apart from that .... right on !

Tourist?

[AG1]

Every Year the Number of Taxis-Meters in Pattaya increase substantially, unfortunately the local Driver prefer to park there Taxi instead of turning on the Meter and drive. Sometimes they sleep in the Car, urinate in nearby Bushes, or play loud Musik to kill the Time until a Victim show up which can be overcharged. I wonder why Taxis in BKK must turn on the Meter, but here in Pattaya they still can reject Passangers who ask for a Meter Taxi ?? Belongs Pattaya not to Thailand regarding Traffic-Laws??

[khun custard]

Top stuff....but what about really improving the transport systems in Pattaya by addressing the absolute chaos and the unbelievable amount time it is taking to build this viaduct at the Klang Intersection

Over a year now of traffic chaos year no noticeable progress.. ...how many deaths, hospital cases and accident claims from this death trap to date ??

A huge cost and inconvenience is being borne by road users for the benefit of money saved by ??? in a construction contract which does not serve a reasonable time frame.

Let's hope the owners of the "top 2" bus companies doing most of the private charter work will attend this seance and some one speaks up about their drivers - some the most arrogant and poorly skilled coach drivers on the planet.

[Jingthing]

Belongs to something ... it's probably impolitic to get specific

[newnative]

True enough Phantonfiddler but what if you aren't on a baht taxi line? There IS an excess of baht taxis so why not have some of them run on streets not yet served? And, none of them are making any money when they wait in line by the Smart Kids School for their turn to cram in an unsafe number of passengers before they will leave.

[topt]

Top stuff....but what about really improving the transport systems in Pattaya by addressing the absolute chaos and the unbelievable amount time it is taking to build this viaduct at the Klang Intersection

Over a year now of traffic chaos year no noticeable progress.. ...how many deaths, hospital cases and accident claims from this death trap to date ??

A huge cost and inconvenience is being borne by road users for the benefit of money saved by ??? in a construction contract which does not serve a reasonable time frame.

Let's hope the owners of the "top 2" bus companies doing most of the private charter work will attend this seance and some one speaks up about their drivers - some the most arrogant and poorly skilled coach drivers on the planet.

No use of emoticons so do not know how sarcastic you are being but suggest you look up the definition of viaduct.....as they are meant to be excavating an underpass/tunnel........

Not sure it has even been going a full year yet but many of my journeys are now quicker and I travel through that junction a lot.....

[Anthony5]

Prohibit the tourist buses from anywhere west of Third Road!

Even the tourist buses that are trying to take the tourist back to their hotel on Beach Road after a day at Nong Nooch? Do they also pick-up those same tourists on 3rd Road? These are groups of people that have traveled great distances to visit Thailand & Pattaya. Do they not count? I understand the frustration with them, but not your off the cuff solution.

You think they wouldn't be able to reach their hotel in a minivan when The big coach drops them of East side of Sukhumvit, because that is how far the coach would make it in a Western tourist town.

Edited August 7, 2015 by Anthony5

[cracker1]

Turn on the meters in the Taxi meters. Yes, we know the fares can't be as low as Bangkok but they should be able to drive around and pick up fares anywhere and the meters can be set at a reasonable level much less than the charter levels they all use now (and which means they sit idle most of the time).

Next ...

Why can't the fares be the same as Bangkok ?

Fuel is the same cost, Drivers accommodation is similar or possibly cheaper, Much less traffic so more completed journey's each day. Possibly many journey's shorter than Bangkok.

If anything perhaps the fares should be a little less than Bangkok that is "overpopulated" with taxis.

[hawker9000]

Prohibit the tourist buses from anywhere west of Third Road!

Even the tourist buses that are trying to take the tourist back to their hotel on Beach Road after a day at Nong Nooch? Do they also pick-up those same tourists on 3rd Road? These are groups of people that have traveled great distances to visit Thailand & Pattaya. Do they not count? I understand the frustration with them, but not your off the cuff solution.

You think they wouldn't be able to reach their hotel in a minivan when The big coach drops them of East side of Sukhumvit, because that is how far the coach would make it in a Western tourist town.

Bell Travel Service does exactly this - and their operation is pretty well-oiled, dependable, and almost always on-time. But it was apparently well planned and set up that way from the start, and judging from the usual load factor I've seen over the years, they must make out ok with their bottom line. (I'd be interested to know who the original brains behind that were ...) More power to 'em. But in the case under discussion here, these tourbus operators would either have to capitalize some new minivans to do this, or cooperate with an existing minivan provider. How could anyone possibly imagine that a Thai tourbus operator would be willing to do anything besides continuing to milk his existing big coach investment, regardless of the contribution he's making to traffic congestion and problems he causes for everybody else, about which he could literally care less?

Stakeholders (i.e., existing transportation providers) in all this will never support - to the point of civil disobedience - any changes that aren't to their own personal & immediate advantage (read: profit). Tourbus operators aren't going to implement minivan pickups & drop-offs. Taxi drivers aren't suddenly going to start using their meters. Baht bus drivers aren't going to start laying themselves off. Motobike taxis aren't going to curtail their reckless speeding. And nobody is going to take seriously any new regulation designed to deal with the problem that doesn't work to their own particular advantage, which, if it happens, will be mostly for ever-gullible western consumption anyway. Be real. TIT.

[jacko45k]

Turn on the meters in the Taxi meters. Yes, we know the fares can't be as low as Bangkok but they should be able to drive around and pick up fares anywhere and the meters can be set at a reasonable level much less than the charter levels they all use now (and which means they sit idle most of the time).

Next ...

We already have traffic congestion which is contributed to by empty baht buses driving around.

I think taxis can work by having allocated waiting spots and also applications like Grab Taxi.

The meter would be a fair/fare idea too.

Pattaya is easier to get around than many places, and certainly more tourist friendly than Phuket.

Many other traffic related issues to look at.