Patong Beach Goes One-Way Traffic

[george]

Patong to trial one-way traffic

PATONG: -- -- In the hope of bringing some order to Patong’s traffic chaos, on January 15 the town will adopt a one-way road system on a three-month trial.

The one-way system will see Rat U-Thit 200 Pi Rd become one-way southbound and Thaweewong Rd (the beach road) one-way northbound from Prachanukhro Rd to Phra Barami Rd.

Prachanukhro Rd will become one-way from Rat U-Thit 200 Pi Rd to Thaweewong Rd, toward the beach.

All other roads in the municipality will remain two-way, including Soi Bangla, which will remain closed to traffic at night.

Pol Capt Parinya Rattana, who is in charge of traffic in Patong, said the one-way system will run until April 15, 2007, after which its effectiveness will be reviewed.

“I am 80% to 90% sure there won’t be any problems. This project can reduce traffic problems in Patong, and it will be much easier to control traffic when we have a fair or special activity on the beach road ,” he said.

When the new system goes into effect, arrows indicating one-way traffic flow will be painted on the streets and roadsigns erected to inform motorists of the change, he added.

The route was chosen after a November 10 public hearing to elicit input from tuk-tuk and motorcycle taxi drivers, hotel owners, entertainment business owners and other members of the public, Capt Parinya said.

However, there are no plans to introduce a hop-on, hop-off “baht bus” similar to the cheap, popular service in Pattaya.

Phuket Deputy Mayor Chairat Sukkaban said that he has put the idea before the Municipality, but that there has been no progress on the issue.

Tourists in Patong are currently charged a 100-baht minimum fare by tuk tuk drivers, regardless of the distance – contributing to Patong’s reputation as having one of the most expensive public transport systems in Thailand.

--Phuket Gazette 2006-11-18

[donna]

i wonder if it now means that they can park on both sides of the road all day and night?!

in theory its a good idea. i hope it works. but surely it should be started before Jungceylon (bloody awful name by the way) opens?

[smartecosse]

avoid being there on the 15th then, tha's going to cause absolute chaos

[Sir Burr]

They've tried this before (check out the old worn arrows painted on the roads already).

The tuk-tuk drivers protested and that was that.

[Little Black Duck]

They've tried this before (check out the old worn arrows painted on the roads already).

The tuk-tuk drivers protested and that was that.

They did it in Chaweng on Samui and I believe it's actually working, I can see points for and against..But I think the Tuk Tuk drivers will be a big influence again..

[markg]

Isnt any road in Thailand two-way if you are on a motorbike? There was a quote from the cops in the Phuket Gazette a couple of years ago saying that if you hit someone coming against the flow of traffic, it wouldnt automatically be there fault. Ergo, you can drive against the flow of traffic slowly and its all ok.

Seriously, this plan is a good one. Lets hope it works.

[khall64au]

Perhaps eradicating the prolific motorcycle parking lanes on both sides of the road heading from southern Rat-U-Thit Rd turn-off & onward to Beach Rd may improve traffic flow if all vehicles will be required to traverse this area in future to head north.

As it now stands - two lanes are actually reduced to one lane for both directions of traffic flow in this area.

[cdnvic]

Does this mean that now only half of the locals will be driving against traffic?

[Welsh John]

i wonder if it now means that they can park on both sides of the road all day and night?!

in theory its a good idea. i hope it works. but surely it should be started before Jungceylon (bloody awful name by the way) opens?

Useless bit of info but Phuket used to be called Junk Seiylon before it was changed. This was the roughly the spelling I saw when reading about Phuket's history at the museum.

Regarding the "One Way System", anything that helps the mayhem would be good but things would improve a lot more if they did more revive the Baht Bus idea or even better impose it. ( I heard the Mayor has an involvement in the Tuk Tuks , hence the reason not to upset them.)

[taxin]

Well, people have been saying Patong is fast becoming the Pattaya of the South ! Well it works over there so why not here. Baht bus would be GREAT but somehow dont think so.

This will sure have a lot to do with Jungcylon. Only 1 direction in from Rath-u-Thid, with the North direction (from Kata/karon) to be catered for via the new road being built.

[Galong]

They've tried this before (check out the old worn arrows painted on the roads already).

The tuk-tuk drivers protested and that was that.

Yup, yet another law to ignore. If it ain't convenient, it ain't gonna happen.

This is after all, a mob rules society to some degree... innit?

[Welsh John]

Just a thought but I wonder what will happen when the Tsunami Warning system kicks off again???

[taxin]

They've tried this before (check out the old worn arrows painted on the roads already).

The tuk-tuk drivers protested and that was that.

Yup, yet another law to ignore. If it ain't convenient, it ain't gonna happen.

This is after all, a mob rules society to some degree... innit?

Apart from no longer being able to do those deadly u-turns when they spot a tourist, I cant see how the tuk-tuks will complain.

In fact they will have more room to litter the place as all the motorbikes will be parked in the main Jungcylon car park !

[SoiSong]

Soi Bangla is one way and will remaim that way. Jung Ceylon will also serviced by the new road between 200Pee and Nanai with two direct routes from the back of the new center to botn the new road and Nanai..Viewable right now the from Nanai or take the new road, part dirt, from either end of Patong.....I drove thru a couple weeks ago just to have a lohospitsy the ok....Comes out on the North side by the hospital and south side just atg the intersecon to to head to Kata/Karon

[Lotusbluete]

Soi Bangla is one way and will remaim that way. Jung Ceylon will also serviced by the new road between 200Pee and Nanai with two direct routes from the back of the new center to botn the new road and Nanai..Viewable right now the from Nanai or take the new road, part dirt, from either end of Patong.....I drove thru a couple weeks ago just to have a lohospitsy the ok....Comes out on the North side by the hospital and south side just atg the intersecon to to head to Kata/Karon

Sorry SoiSong to correct you, but the North side to Patong Hospital is a dead end street now as they built a drainage canal there. So coming from the South side you either have to turn off right at the Banzaan Market towards Nanai Road or a bit further to the left into the extension of Soi Sansabai.

[makavelithedon]

As long as it aides the Tuk Tuks it will stay. If there's as much as a 1 % drop in they're takings I bet it will be stopped after the 3 month trial with them screaming to the heavens.

The amount of influence they have belies belief.