"Smart Bus Stops" finally coming to Bangkok

[rooster59]

"Smart Bus Stops" finally coming to Bangkok

 

Image: Daily News

 

Bus stops with electronic information boards are finally set to become an everyday  feature of life in downtown Bangkok.

Artists' impressions of what the boards will look like have been published by Daily News.

The Smart Boards are being introduced by the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority in cooperation with the Bangkok Metropolitan Authority after a private firm won the contract worth 338 million baht to install them.

The boards will track the movement of buses - this is now possible after 2,600 vehicles were fitted with GPS tracking devices recently.

Twenty boards will be set up after a survey was carried out for the best places to put them.

Among the places are four to be set up at the busy Victory Monument, 2 at Mor Chit BTS, 2 on either side of the main road at Siam Square, one at Central World and other locations.

Prayoon Chuaykaew of the BMTA said that work installing the boards was set to start yesterday and would be completed before the end of August.

There will then be a testing phase before they are fully operational.

 

Source: Daily News

 

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2017-07-22

[Lupatria]

That's gonna be the first "smart" thing in the city. Please don't rest for another decade to figure out in dozens of committees and sub committees what could possibly come next.

[Crossy]

The artist's impression is spot on.

 

That's exactly how they will look after a few months, totally blank.

 

Anyone remember the smart taxi stops that never went live?

[garywim]

Maybe we will have Smart Drivers as well and not drive in the right-hand lane then cut across and block the roads when they want  pick up and drop off passengers

[Jonmarleesco]

Just needs smart drivers for the full monty.

[Dobredin Ghusputin]

Does this mean people can no longer use those stupid bus stops in the 2nd, 3rd or 4th lanes?

[yellowboat]

Most people who ride buses in Bangkok already know when they will arrive.  They know the traffic patterns when it is faster to walk than wait for the bus. 

[Bangkok Barry]

1 hour ago, Crossy said:

The artist's impression is spot on.

 

That's exactly how they will look after a few months, totally blank.

 

Anyone remember the smart taxi stops that never went live?

 

I wonder who knew someone who knew someone who could have the business of setting up all those taxi stations, so that people could call for a taxi and wait there for it to arrive while letting 30 empty taxis go by. I remember that outside Pantip Plaza they actually blocked off the taxi lay-by with barriers to prevent it being used. Just another Amazing thing about Thailand.

[Crossy]

2 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

Just another Amazing thing about Thailand.

 

Many moons ago I was sitting in a streetside bar in Ankara, Turkey. We watched a couple of Turkish guys stringing a length of wire along the trees and street signs by the road, they then screwed a bell-push to one of the trees.

 

Shortly later a lady pushed the bell-push. With 30 seconds a taxi screeched round the corner and picked up their passenger. Apparently it's not permitted to hail a cab in Ankara, but calling one is OK 

 

[HerbalEd]

19 minutes ago, yellowboat said:

Most people who ride buses in Bangkok already know when they will arrive.  They know the traffic patterns when it is faster to walk than wait for the bus. 

How do you actually know what "most people ... already know"? Assumptions aren't facts.

[yellowboat]

1 hour ago, HerbalEd said:

How do you actually know what "most people ... already know"? Assumptions aren't facts.

I ride buses in Bangkok ?

Edited July 22, 2017 by yellowboat

[Cuchulainn]

DESTINATION             DUE                                  REMARKS

Din Daeng                  5 mins                Stopping in middle lane only

Lat Phrao                   3 mins                     Will stop if you're lucky

Silom                         3 mins                Won't stop if nobody wants off    

Rangsit                      2 mins                              arrsehole driver

Thonglor                    1 min               Prat with a chip on his shoulder driving

Vic monument          now                             Sullen snappy conductress

Edited July 22, 2017 by Cuchulainn

[Pj2738]

338 Million Baht! for 20 new electronic boards. That's the kind of contract I want.

[tryasimight]

And the buses are where...still in customs?

[Clear Sky]

Any service improvement would be welcome, but this could have been solved with a smartphone app that tracks the buses and offers an ETA at a given bus stop.  Then, however, no hardware and maintenance fees would be gained, of course.

 

You have to wonder how much money is being 'diverted' within the BMTA when AirAsia has a fleet of buses at Don Muang that are far newer and better than any of the city's buses.

[Bangkok Barry]

50 minutes ago, Clear Sky said:

Any service improvement would be welcome, but this could have been solved with a smartphone app that tracks the buses and offers an ETA at a given bus stop.  Then, however, no hardware and maintenance fees would be gained, of course.

 

You have to wonder how much money is being 'diverted' within the BMTA when AirAsia has a fleet of buses at Don Muang that are far newer and better than any of the city's buses.

 

Maintenance 

 

Air Asia charge higher fares that the BMTA.

[ricklev]

On 7/22/2017 at 9:06 PM, Cuchulainn said:

DESTINATION             DUE                                  REMARKS

Din Daeng                  5 mins                Stopping in middle lane only

Lat Phrao                   3 mins                     Will stop if you're lucky

Silom                         3 mins                Won't stop if nobody wants off    

Rangsit                      2 mins                              arrsehole driver

Thonglor                    1 min               Prat with a chip on his shoulder driving

Vic monument          now                             Sullen snappy conductress

You nailed it!  I was on a #14 bus recently where it was a family affair of some sort. Father driving, wife conducting and 7 year old kid running around the bus with a lighter holding the flame to various surfaces of the bus to see if the they would burn.  Father and mother were smiling and laughing, delighting in their child's scientific curiosity.  We were stopped at the Rajadamri light for a long time and they thought my suggestions on proper child rearing and safety in public transportation were awfully farang cute.