One month given to ease traffic in Bangkok

[webfact]

One month given to ease traffic in Bangkok

 

 

BANGKOK: -- Authorities in charge of traffic affairs in Bangkok were given one month to show progress in easing traffic congestion problem in the capital, Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan said Wednesday.

 

The deputy prime minister, on Wednesday, chaired a meeting to solve traffic problem in the city’s 21 main roads with agencies concerned which included the City Hall, Transport Ministry, Land Transport Department, Highways Department, Rural Highways Department, Harbour Department, Public Works Department and the Army.

 

The meeting agreed to address traffic woes in three stages: immediate stage, medium stage and long-term stage.

 

General Prawit said, as a matter of fact, that the Metropolitan Police Bureau, had already started taking actions to deal with traffic problem, resulting in some progress as manifested in less congestion in some areas.

 

Full story: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/one-month-given-ease-traffic-bangkok/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2016-09-15

[leeneeds]

ODDS  & EVENS on alternate days 

a fund set up to remove some taxis,

would help a little

[NongKhaiKid]

Decade upon decade of mounting problems all to have improvement in one month !

Even if progress is made how long will it be sustained as short term fixes with publicity are the norm.

[gk10002000]

Do they really expect a significant and permanent reduction in traffic in a short time?  Ridiculous expectation to change a major city infrastructure so quickly.  Of course being a military state, there are ways to curtail or limit traffic.  Not saying they would be good ways, but curfews, even odd driving days, forced communal driving dictates, raise the price of petrol 400%, etc.

[jamesbrock]

So they have 21 police precincts with jurisdiction over their own territory, as well as City Hall, Transport Ministry, Land Transport Department, Highways Department, Rural Highways Department, Harbour Department, Public Works Department and the Army ALL tasked with alleviating congestion?

 

That's a surefire recipe for success!

[NongKhaiKid]

34 minutes ago, leeneeds said:

ODDS  & EVENS on alternate days 

a fund set up to remove some taxis,

would help a little

I remember a BBC report when New Delhi tried the Odd and Even system and apart from the obvious initial confusion things weren't improved by the list of people who were exempt starting with politicians and officials.

Wonder what the list would look like here ? 

[jackinthebox]

Well well....there IS a way to ease traffic! Even within days:

Gasohol 91: 59Baht

Super 95: 71Baht

Diesel: 52Baht

CNG: 33Baht

Problem solved!

[Smiley Face]

Quote

Bangkok police to end the city's traffic woes - and these flags are bound to help!

 

Everyone relax.  The situation will be remedied with these magical flags.  Just believe! ! ! 

[DrTuner]

Arrest the cops messing with the traffic lights, instant 90% improvement in all areas. Deport them to Mars to make sure they'll never get their incompetent fingers on the switches anymore.

[carlyai]

Years ago the Japanese set up a system in Bangkok (or tried to ) where all traffic lights were computer controlled, so that traffic would feed and flow better, well a little better.

Think it was tested but never used.

Wouldn't a system like that work?

I think I know why it was installed but never used. Does anyone know the exact reason it was never used and why it shouldn't be looked at again?

I know there's too many cars in Banggers but....



Sent from my SM-J700F using Tapatalk

[jamesbrock]

2 minutes ago, DrTuner said:

Arrest the cops messing with the traffic lights, instant 90% improvement in all areas. Deport them to Mars to make sure they'll never get their incompetent fingers on the switches anymore.

 

But that is how they control traffic. Just the other week it was reported that al lights were to be switched from automatic to manual in an effort to alleviate the traffic woes... 

 

Region 9 commander Jiraphat Phoomijit presenting the initiative said: "There is a perception among the public that wherever there are police there is bad traffic," reported Sanook. Hmmm... I wonder why that perception exists!

[PatOngo]

Twenty years to end corruption, one month to fix Bangkok's traffic woes...........seems about right!

[taichiplanet]

Easy peasy, just invoke Article 44 and confiscate 50% of the cars!

[djayz]

First article I read this morning and I almost pi**ed myself laughing. 

This problem has been bubbling away for years and now they want to solve it in a month?!

Long term strategy is needed. 

Increase the price of fuel in the city

Improve public transport e.g.  newer, more modern and comfortable busses, dedicated bus lanes, more frequent departures during rush hour, parking facilities near BTS and MRT stations, etc. 

Where there's a will, there's a way. 

Edited September 15, 2016 by djayz

[mercman24]

i was stuck in traffic last week for ages, thought there must have been an accident, traffic backed up all along RAMA 4,(,where you filter across traffic for BIG C) sure enough when i got near the crossing point there was a keystone cop directing the traffic, never had this problem before, everyone is courtiest, (never seen more than about 4/5 cars) and let you cross.but not this <deleted>, he had to stop traffic, the tailback was horrendous

[sharecropper]

So, one month to sort out traffic in Bangkok, and only TWENTY YEARS to sort out corruption in Thailand?!

[Thian]

3 hours ago, leeneeds said:

ODDS  & EVENS on alternate days 

a fund set up to remove some taxis,

would help a little

 

So when you're in a hospital you don't mind to get nurses helping you on alternate days only?

 

Taxi's cause a lot of congestion, so do the bahtbuses and all drivers who don't keep lept...lept...lept...

 

I tried to use the new skytrain last week but they wouldn't let me use it with my rabbitcard and even couldn't speak a word english to sell me a metrocard..i couldn't even hear her through that crappy speaker in her booth.

 

Just make all skytrains/metro's free of charge, we pay tax for that...

[Eric Loh]

Heard that repeating groove before. Next. 

[selftaopath]

How about this novel approach:

ENFORCE EXISTING LAWS.

[bubba]

3 hours ago, leeneeds said:

ODDS  & EVENS on alternate days 

a fund set up to remove some taxis,

would help a little

 

Makati implemented even/odd days. People who were wealthy enough bought another car. The ones who were not wealthy enough to buy a second car took taxis on their off day.

 

The result: traffic remains gridlocked but auto dealers and taxis were happy.

[cumgranosalum]

3 hours ago, jackinthebox said:

Well well....there IS a way to ease traffic! Even within days:

Gasohol 91: 59Baht

Super 95: 71Baht

Diesel: 52Baht

CNG: 33Baht

Problem solved!

THat will have no effect - it would of course increase prices on everything you buy.

Edited September 15, 2016 by cumgranosalum

[cumgranosalum]

Yet another nape-of-the-neck dictum.

 

As there doesn't appear to be anyone properly qualified to handle trafffic problems in Thailand, let alone Bangkok, setting ridiculous  deadlines  just seems to have the hallmark of a senior official trying desperately to look as if he's doping something

[cumgranosalum]

as ever most of the "solutions" put forward are simplistic single issue ideas that fail to take into account their ramifications.

 

Just doing ONE thing will have no benefit whatsoever.

 

Bkk is a vast metropolis and people need to get around and pass through......for instance just looking at motor transport is doomed to fail from the start - any real solution will be a fully integrated approach involving ALL road users (inc. stalls and pedestrians animals etc), all forms of public transport and the design of the road system. parking needs to be looked at as does enforcement, but as those in charge have no training it could be years before that comes into effect.

 

It might also be a good idea to look back at the history of bad traffic in Bkk and look at who has tried (and failed) to solve the problem before.

 

it seems that from the top down, no-one has a clue what to do.

Edited September 15, 2016 by cumgranosalum

[NongKhaiKid]

Will they trot out the old idea of vehicles causing obstruction to be removed by helicopter ?

Why not as it will fit in with all the other hair brained items they'll come up with ?

[Artisi]

28 minutes ago, sharecropper said:

So, one month to sort out traffic in Bangkok, and only TWENTY YEARS to sort out corruption in Thailand?!

Seems they have the 2 functions in the wrong order.

 

[selftaopath]

7 minutes ago, cumgranosalum said:

as ever most of the "solutions" put forward are simplistic single issue ideas that fail to take into account their ramifications.

 

Just doing ONE thing will have no benefit whatsoever.

 

Bkk is a vast metropolis and people need to get around and pass through......for instance just looking at motor transport is doomed to fail from the start - any real solution will be a fully integrated approach involving ALL road users (inc. stalls and pedestrians animals etc), all forms of public transport and the design of the road system. parking needs to be looked at as does enforcement, but as those in charge have no training it could be years before that comes into effect.

 

It might also be a good idea to look back at the history of bad traffic in Bkk and look at who has tried (and failed) to solve the problem before.

 

it seems that from the top down, no-one has a clue what to do.

"  it seems that from the top down, no-one has a clue what to do " OH how this applies to most things Thai.

[remobb]

I agree with the bus lane strategy. But further to that they must stop buses, songthao and cars from double and even triple parking / stopping. I see this on a daily basis and it causes big problems with the flow of traffic. They think they can stop where ever they like and there is no control.

[joepattaya1961]

Traffic congestion became a real problem after the 100,000 baht scheme some years ago which added about 600,000 cars to Bangkok's car-fleet. 

 

Discourage the use of private cars by extra toll-sections, reduce taxi-meters, increase airconditioned buses from the suburbs to BTS/MRT/BRT-hubs and create large parking lots near/next to MRT/BTS/Airportlink stations in the outskirts of Bangkok. 

This will reduce SOME congestion.

[freebyrd]

45 minutes ago, NongKhaiKid said:

Will they trot out the old idea of vehicles causing obstruction to be removed by helicopter ?

Why not as it will fit in with all the other hair brained items they'll come up with ?

 

It was Thaksin in 1994 who said he would solve the traffic problems in 6 months - then of course he denied saying that when he hadn't made any impact at all on the daily congestion. He also said he would use Chinooks to extract errant vehicles. Chinooks in busy traffic in an urban area?!! An ex policeman who had no idea that this would cause even more catastrophe!?!, why wasn't I surprised.

 

Using a driving analogy - The mouth opens before the brain is in gear .

[monkey4u]

An easy fix is ban ALL vehicles over 10 years old from all Thai roads, except my car 

It usually refuses to go anywhere