Bangkok traffic: Cops and private sector meet at HQ to decide there are just too many cars!

[Colabamumbai]

Odd, even license plates drive on different days. Strictly enforced, 10,000 Baht fine, half to the ticketing officer and half to the government.

 

Make car owner wannabees pay $7,000 for a permit that allows them to buy a car, Singapore style.  That would surely cut down on car ownership.

[HoboKay]

22 minutes ago, Dexlowe said:

 

Ahhh ... the existentialist approach. I think we need a committee to investigate this.

A new ministry will be in order for such an undertaking since every other ministry seems preoccupied with maintaining the status quo.

[ebean001]

1. Add more bts trains and cars per train

2. Reduce bts cost

3. Add significant parking (and convenient parking) at certain select stations.

4. Make parking free...even provide a 30% on fare for those parking at station

 

Lastly, try to eliminate as many right hand turns as possible. Make the traffic go straight then make then U-turn. This works great in USA. The traffic light can be green for 2 directions at the same time. huge benefit. may have to build U-turn bridges

 

finally, ask people why they drive their cars into the city. Must be a good reason.

 

Large parking lots outside the city with many tuk, taxis, vans, etc

 

[dfp]

At the end of the 60's a German expert team was employed by the Government/BMA to come of with suggestions how to solve Bangkok's traffic woes, which at that time was also terrible.

 

During the late 60's I stayed at Sathorn Road close to Rama IV Road and worked in Chinatown. If I left at 07:10 I would be at work 07:30 if I left at 07:15 I would be at work at 08:00.

I am sure that the German expert team had a very great time in Bangkok before they came up with their "conclusion", which was very simple:

 

TOO MANY CARS

 

 

 

 

[HoboKay]

12 minutes ago, Colabamumbai said:

Odd, even license plates drive on different days. Strictly enforced, 10,000 Baht fine, half to the ticketing officer and half to the government.

 

Make car owner wannabees pay $7,000 for a permit that allows them to buy a car, Singapore style.  That would surely cut down on car ownership.

Vehicle ownership isn't an issue, availability of reliable, affordable and safe public transport infrastructure is, in many cities its the lack of it that's causing issues.

[Jimbo1964]

Get rid of those bloody U turns and teach Thais how to use roundabouts and merging left in to traffic without cutting you up half way down the merge lane !  

[dfp]

Just now, HoboKay said:

Vehicle ownership isn't an issue, availability of reliable, affordable and safe public transport infrastructure is, in many cities its the lack of it that's causing issues.

 

Plus the drains cannot accommodate the water flow.

 

[williamgeorgeallen]

who ever suggested a congestion charge i think that is a great idea. otherwise it is just more of this,

[Jim walker]

Didn’t need to get all these so so clever people together could have just asked my granddaughter she could have told them Bangkok roads designed for a maximum of 4 million cars and now over 7 million cars on the Bangkok roads a heavier tax to keep the number of vehicles down for the poor people, and a test or inspection every year for cars older than two years and any failures just crush them get the old scrap cars off the road, no need to set up police checks or tea money collection points, just install cameras all over the roads and on traffic lights to catch the red light jumpers fines issued by computer to car owner non-payments or multi fines cars impounded and crushed after 60 days non-payment.      

[mr_lob]

Thailand should shoot for being:  ''The hub of traffic solutions and pointless meetings with conclusions we already knew''

[kennw]

Lack of planning clearly shows when we have the "easypass" system and the "M pass" system. Both systems speed up passage through tollgates but it's most inconvenient to have to have both in the car so I suspect most, like me only, have one. A single system would mean totally, more people using the faster cashless passage through tollgates.      

[elgordo38]

4 hours ago, jamesbrock said:

 

They keep omitting one very important term before the word 'enforcement'... 

Enforcement with the least amount of monetary outlay. Just loved another headline "Bangkok wants to attract 30 million tourists!!" really where will you put them all and how will they navigate the city. Boats are out not safe. Hub it. 

[dfp]

1 minute ago, kennw said:

Lack of planning clearly shows when we have the "easypass" system and the "M pass" system. Both systems speed up passage through tollgates but it's most inconvenient to have to have both in the car so I suspect most, like me only, have one. A single system would mean totally, more people using the faster cashless passage through tollgates.      

 

It should be mandatory to have EasyPass in the car. About MPass I am not so sure as it looks like no one is using it. 

 

Unfortunately Thai people do not like to pay in advance.

[trogers]

1 hour ago, gchurch259 said:

From a purely personal view. We bought a Townhouse off Rama II an had hoped to see BTS from city center to Samut Sakanorn even to Samut Songkhram.

 

Been 8 years and I will pass before it happens !!

 

Thailand has the same prblem to many countries have, everybody wants to mov.e to the big city and get rich, no way.

 

I suggest they build some commercial developments 80 to 100 Km from existing cities. Look at what Brazil did!

 

Already did. Pattaya, and it has its own traffic jams...???

[bark]

They should just move the capital to Udon Thani. Then they can say " We reduced the number of cars in the Capital "

[manhood]

I rally can't believe that the top of the people, agencies and police sit together and found out: too many cars and rain...UPed

Yes its the enforcement of laws on the street with high penalty for wrongdoing and not getting the mone in the pocket of the police guys!!!!!!!

And if you would do ONE WAY road system; that would help a lot while even no parking , at least not parking on second line just for go shopping as it's the shortest way!

Well and last but not least: Brainwash of all participants of traffic in Thailand!

 

Oh...that takes maybe hundred of years....sorry was not in my focus!

[dfp]

Spent close to 5 hours in the jam just to send the grandchild to school. Traffic to the school was no problem about 25 minutes and the distance only a little more than 8km from home, but to get back was a nightmare.

 

This was not Bangkok, but Samutprakan.

[HoboKay]

2 minutes ago, bark said:

They should just move the capital to Udon Thani. Then they can say " We reduced the number of cars in the Capital "

Not before they build a new city capable of handling the impending chaos, something akin to  Nay Pyi Taw will probably last 50 years before it all goes to hell.

[bark]

1 minute ago, HoboKay said:

Not before they build a new city capable of handling the impending chaos, something akin to  Nay Pyi Taw will probably last 50 years before it all goes to hell.

Moving the Capital was a Joke !!

[dfp]

1 minute ago, holyshitmtf said:

park & ride

carpool

if no valid parking not allow to buy cars

No car allow to park on any public street over night.

Stop encourage people to buy cars

this won't 100% solve the problem but ...

 

What happened exactly at 2011 elections ? A THB 100,000 tax reduction for first time car owner was part of the bait, stupidity, but car manufacturers and sub-suppliers had some golden days.

[HoboKay]

4 minutes ago, bark said:

Moving the Capital was a Joke !!

Historically it had happened more than once, it could happen again if there are justified reasons.

 

*I know its a joke.

[bark]

Just now, HoboKay said:

Historically it had happened more than once, it could happen again if there are justified reasons.

 

*I know its a joke.

Really they will move the capital to Vietnam. 100  percent true.

[oscar888]

Ok, Bangkok is not the only city with to many cars and not enough roads. However, 5 new committees are not the solution for the traffic problems. I am offering my experience for free for the Municipality and police and whoever as an expert for traffic solutions. I need only some documentation about the biggest traffic accidents and than step be step to find solutions to reduce the traffic problems, not for Bangkok ( that's not possible ) but step by step for the most urgent problems. I must see and observe the present situation and than to look for a solution to ease the traffic.

[edwinchester]

"Also to blame, it was agreed, was the rain....."

 

Has anyone else noticed the huge improvement in  Bangkok's traffic congestion every dry season?

Me neither.

[rickb]

Why don't they emphasize ride sharing.  When I drive in traffic, almost every car around me has only one person in it.  If three or four people got together to share a ride into Bangkok, that would eliminate a lot of cars each day.  They do this back in the USA and it has worked very well to reduce the number of cars entering big cities.  I also agree with those calling for higher parking fees within the city.  If the BMA makes it very expensive for people to bring their cars into the city, more people will try using the MRT or BTS.  I find it very sad that they spent a fortune to build the new purple line from Bang Yai in Nontaburi and after it opened last month, hardly anybody uses it.  

[IamNoone88]

ROAD PRICING!!!

[off road pat]

2 hours ago, bubba said:

I don't suppose that brilliant plan from back in 2013 to offer rebates on new car purchases helped to create this situation, did it?

 

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-thailand-autos-idUSBRE98L0JJ20130922

Yes,..indeed...we all knew what was going to happen...?!?!?

[sahibji]

5 hours ago, trogers said:

???

 

Ureka!!! The top minds of this country just switched on...

if there are too few roads, pretty little can be done about it.

[diehard71]

it really takes a genius brain to figure out that for the 9 million vehicles registered in bangkok only 20% of them can get on the road at any one time and the roads are full,so the remaining 80% just find a place to park.there are many ways to solve this problem but people who own a car must fully cooperate and unless they are willing to make some sacrifices nothing will change.

[HoboKay]

1 minute ago, IamNoone88 said:

ROAD PRICING!!!

For a government that have issues implementing automated toll collection on their existing expressway networks, I doubt there is any competency, to fathom road pricing.