Poll: What should Phuket do about the deadly Patong Hill road? 

The Phuket News

 

Phuket officials disagree on how best to prevent further deadly tour bus accidents at the bottom of Patong Hill. What do you think they should do? Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub
 

PHUKET: Phuket officials are looking for a solution to prevent further bus crashes on Patong Hill, after two tragic accidents claimed three lives in less than two weeks.

 

Last Monday night (July 10) a tour bus crash killed a 10-year-old boy and his father, both Chinese tourists on holiday in Phuket.

 

That accident came less than two weeks after another runaway tour bus killed a 40-year-old woman who happened to be riding a motorbike on the street where all drivers of out-of-control “brake failure” buses aim to come to a rest, instead of slamming into a concrete wall beside the entrance to the street.

Full story: http://www.thephuketnews.com/poll-what-should-phuket-do-about-the-deadly-patong-hill-road-63030.php#1djEgRv3axUkEg5D.97

 

 

 

-- © Copyright Phuket News 2017-07-15

 

 

 

All vehicles with less and more then 4 wheels must drive in the left lane.

 

For every break failure of a bus/truck chausing an accident at Patong hill the owner of this vehicle have to pay a special penalty of 10 million thb to Patong municipality.

Patong municipality will use this money for improving infastructure in Patong.

What should Phuket do about the deadly Patong Hill road?

 

The same answer for every problem in Thailand:

 

Execute all the corrupt government officials.

 

 

Got a Pic of that hill?

 

54 minutes ago, schlog said:

All vehicles with less and more then 4 wheels must drive in the left lane.

 

<snip>.

 

And how many m/bike drivers will be killed. You will notice that all these large vehicles hog the outside lane to manitain speed and not have to slow behind slower taffic. 

They could build a tunnel through it ...

build an elevated 1 way road.

Have a 24/7 heavy vehicle/bus inspection station on the Phuket town side of the hill. In addition to a visual inspection of vehicles demand records of maintenance, roadworthiness inspections, driver's license  and adequate insurance prior to being allowed on the hill 

40 minutes ago, BifBaker said:

Got a Pic of that hill?

 

How about a video?

See below.

 

In my country this would be taunted as a molehill.

But here it is a bloody dangerous mountaineous road.

What a joke.

Incompetent/lunatic drivers, unsafe vehicles.

That's the danger of Patong hill.

I would say that San Francisco has a 100 Patong hills?

 

 

If the large vehicle drivers do not give three toots on the vehicles horn at the top of the hill, to say thank you to the Gods at the Shrine, then karma bites them on the other side. Simple see.

1 hour ago, LivinginKata said:

 

And how many m/bike drivers will be killed. You will notice that all these large vehicles hog the outside lane to manitain speed and not have to slow behind slower taffic. 

Cones, speed limit 30km/h for bus/trucks, cams and draconic penalties will fix it.

When it hurts them really then thais are also good students.

Just take it Easy and keep to the Speed limits , Stop being Kamakazee Drivers.

i am going to suggest that nothing should be done. what, they are going to take my advice?  ha and i am not even an expert.

2 hours ago, Pdaz said:

They could build a tunnel through it ...

There has been a plan for sometime to mine a tunnel through the hill. doesn't seem to get past the plan stage.

Tunnel it and meanwhile bann it for all trucks (excep fire trucks) busses and tuk tuks!

"What should Phuket do about the deadly Patong Hill road? "

 

Make a "Park and Ride" area at the top, and install a couple of cable cars; the annual revenue from that would keep the elected officials in a job for life.

21 minutes ago, Moti24 said:

"What should Phuket do about the deadly Patong Hill road? "

 

Make a "Park and Ride" area at the top, and install a couple of cable cars; the annual revenue from that would keep the elected officials in a job for life.

 

Really Really ... are you just trolling.

4 hours ago, KhunBENQ said:

How about a video?

See below.

 

In my country this would be taunted as a molehill.

But here it is a bloody dangerous mountaineous road.

What a joke.

Incompetent/lunatic drivers, unsafe vehicles.

That's the danger of Patong hill.

I would say that San Francisco has a 100 Patong hills?

 

 

per the video, right around the 3 minute mark, you can start to see the problem; larger vehicles crowd over;

road is too narrow for today's speeds

5 hours ago, BifBaker said:

Got a Pic of that hill?

 

You should try a ride on it. Quite a hair raising ride.

5 hours ago, perthperson said:

Have a 24/7 heavy vehicle/bus inspection station on the Phuket town side of the hill. In addition to a visual inspection of vehicles demand records of maintenance, roadworthiness inspections, driver's license  and adequate insurance prior to being allowed on the hill 

Not going to stop drivers using brakes and not using transmission to retard vehicle.

3 prong approach:

1) Relieve a lot of traffic congestion with regular, accessible public transportation. Change out 90% of the tuk tuk amd have instead songtheaws (baht bus) that regularly cruise common routes. (over patong hill is one of them).


2) require a brake check of all vehicles beyond a certain size (commercial trucks, coach buses, etc) at the top of any hill of a certain height that exceeds 20% angle (patong is probably more like 40% downgrade in some areas).

In the case where the hill isn't too wide, you would have the brake check at the bottom of the hill (each side) . Turn the bus around if they fail brake test.

3) require use of engine brake and lower gear prior to decent (no shifting of gear)

4) (bonus) consider a truck-only route to get to/from patong (Large commercial vehicles). They can only use this route.

Cars and motorbikes/scooters only. No trucks or busses.

9 hours ago, schlog said:

All vehicles with less and more then 4 wheels must drive in the left lane.

 

For every break failure of a bus/truck chausing an accident at Patong hill the owner of this vehicle have to pay a special penalty of 10 million thb to Patong municipality.

Patong municipality will use this money for improving infastructure in Patong.

So all the big bikes have to stay left for car drivers to crawl past?

I had a Honda 110 that was quicker than 99% of cars over that hill, you just need to know how to ride.

Tunnel is expensive but best answer, as long as east and west moving traffic is separated with armco or concrete barriers.

I lost a good mate (Lance) on that hill in '92.

Of course teaching Thais how to drive might help...

1 hour ago, 4evermaat said:

2) require a brake check of all vehicles beyond a certain size (commercial trucks, coach buses, etc) at the top of any hill of a certain height that exceeds 20% angle (patong is probably more like 40% downgrade in some areas).

Great idea !   

 

How do you propose this "brake test" is undertaken at the top of a hill ? 

6 hours ago, Destiny1990 said:

Tunnel it and meanwhile bann it for all trucks (excep fire trucks) busses and tuk tuks!

So how are you going to get food and beer etc to Patong, by sea?

15 taxis instead of one bus?

How about making all drivers/riders train and pass a full and proper licence to competently operate their vehicles.

 

Nothing dangerous about Patong Hill itself, is just the lunatics and incompetent users who do not know how to safely control their vehicles and drive/ride at the appropriate speed for the given conditions. When it starts to rain a good downpour tends to be a tad entertaining I always find...

Haven't they missed the obvious here? There is loads of room for more relics and ghost houses to beep at along that stretch - surely the cheapest option.

11 hours ago, schlog said:

All vehicles with less and more then 4 wheels must drive in the left lane.

 

For every break failure of a bus/truck chausing an accident at Patong hill the owner of this vehicle have to pay a special penalty of 10 million thb to Patong municipality.

Patong municipality will use this money for improving infastructure in Patong.

And who is going to enforce any of this?

 

4 hours ago, George FmplesdaCosteedback said:

So how are you going to get food and beer etc to Patong, by sea?

15 taxis instead of one bus?

Do u think that hill is the only option to reach Patong?I will just go with my car to Kathu.