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Bus and truck curfew in place for Patong Hill

By Nattha Thepbamrung

 

Authorities suggest that prohibited vehicles avoid the Patong Hill by using roads through Kata/Karon or through Surin and Kamala.

  

PHUKET: -- Following the sucession of accidents involving buses and trucks in recent months, Traffic Police have placed official restrictions on access to Patong over the notorious Patong Hill for during certain hours of the day.

 

Buses carrying 21 passengers or more, 10-wheel trucks, as well as trailers, won’t be allowed on Patong hill (Phra Baramee Road) from 6 am to 9 am and from 4 pm to 11 pm. This includes the route from Wichtsongkram Road in Kathu, across the hill and down to the base of the road in Patong.

 

The curfew was integrated into local traffic law on August 17.

 

-- © Copyright Phuket Gazette 2017-08-23

 

[KarenBravo]

Is this the same curfew they said they implemented for exactly the same reason several years ago?

Will the level of enforcement be the same (two days) as before, too?

[madmitch]

So many buses at Chalong Circle this morning.

 

Maybe Karon municipality should impose a ban on buses on the hills as well. 

[steelepulse]

18 minutes ago, KarenBravo said:

Is this the same curfew they said they implemented for exactly the same reason several years ago?

Will the level of enforcement be the same (two days) as before, too?

I definitely recall a curfew being placed.  I wonder what the over/under on days of enforcement were back then and what the number of days this will be enforced this time.

[nasa123]

13 minutes ago, madmitch said:

So many buses at Chalong Circle this morning.

 

Maybe Karon municipality should impose a ban on buses on the hills as well. 

Every day in Chalong circle, but the most of the busses in Phuket 90% are Banned from Bangkok and Chang Mai and Chang Rai.,to old and  too much release of exhaust.Cheap buses for cheap China tourists in Phuket.

[Dave67]

It won't be bus's falling off of a hill it will Bus's falling off a hill in a traffic jam

[Psimbo]

Without proper enforcement this is just empty words yet again. The previous 'ban' has been ineffective for the most part- buses are often chugging up the hill before 9am.

 

All this does is make the other routes more dangerous without addressing the root problem of dangerous buses.

[Old Croc]

Checking the most recent crashes it seems most of the buses are registered outside Phuket.

They are from Provinces such as Nakhon Si Thammarat,  Nakhon Rachasima and Phang Nga.

Often the drivers are also from these places, and may even be making their first descent of Patong hill.

Add this unfamiliarity to a lack of knowledge about how to use low gears and it's not surprising their brakes overheat and fail!

[steelepulse]

10 minutes ago, Old Croc said:

Checking the most recent crashes it seems most of the buses are registered outside Phuket.

They are from Provinces such as Nakhon Si Thammarat,  Nakhon Rachasima and Phang Nga.

Often the drivers are also from these places, and may even be making their first descent of Patong hill.

Add this unfamiliarity to a lack of knowledge about how to use low gears and it's not surprising their brakes overheat and fail!

I bet most of the buses registered outside of Phuket are based here full time and will never get off the island for that "safety check of buses registered in other provinces".  The bus companies will merely send Phuket registered busses over to James Bond island to avoid the checks on their way back in.

[madmitch]

Of the buses I passed this morning, and there were many, I tried to look at the registrations and there were more from Bangkok than anywhere else.

[Old Croc]

Just now, steelepulse said:

I bet most of the buses registered outside of Phuket are based here full time and will never get off the island for that "safety check of buses registered in other provinces".  The bus companies will merely send Phuket registered busses over to James Bond island to avoid the checks on their way back in.

Yes. 

The explosion of tourists, Chinese in particular, in recent years (over 8mill international tourists arrived on Phuket last year) has probably resulted in every dodgy, clapped-out bus from all over the country getting a new paint job and heading here to cash in. The collapse of that illegal Chinese tourist company and the sale of their assets wouldn't have helped the situation. Although I imagine their buses will have been repainted and are being utilised as well.

 

(James Bond Island? ) 

[madmax2]

There will not be any less accidents, they will just be on different roads, Chalong, Kata/Karon to patong and Kamala to Patong, both roads have steep hilly, windy sections on them

[ChrisY1]

Millions more Chinese coming soon to Phuket.....they'll have to walk now :))

[NoBrainer]

5 hours ago, madmax2 said:

There will not be any less accidents, they will just be on different roads, Chalong, Kata/Karon to patong and Kamala to Patong, both roads have steep hilly, windy sections on them

 

Yes but it will take the Heat Off of Patong Hill for a while.  555

[losername]

I don't get this.  If the vehicle/driver/load is unsafe for the hill at 6 am to 9 am and from 4 pm to 11 pm, why do they suddenly become OK outside those times?

[pattayadgw]

More BANDAID BULLSH+T from the AUTHORITIES!!!

[Psimbo]

25 minutes ago, losername said:

I don't get this.  If the vehicle/driver/load is unsafe for the hill at 6 am to 9 am and from 4 pm to 11 pm, why do they suddenly become OK outside those times?

These are the peak traffic times over the hill- all it does is reduce collateral damage.

[losername]

27 minutes ago, Psimbo said:

These are the peak traffic times over the hill- all it does is reduce collateral damage.

Thanks Psimbo.  That is understood.  So this is all about collateral damage and it is OK for buses with 21+ passengers to go over the side as long as they do not collaterally damage  a motorcycle on the way.  I think a good idea would be  to address the whole issue in the ways so often given on TV.

[DrDave]

35 minutes ago, Psimbo said:

These are the peak traffic times over the hill- all it does is reduce collateral damage.

That's part of the reason.

The other part is that these buses typically slow to a crawl on the uphill sections, causing long tailbacks which cause real traffic headaches during peak traffic hours.

[LivinginKata]

Any one here think this curfew will be enforced ? I think not and it will very soon be forgotten.

[Lingba]

Same question as with every new law...Who will enforce this?....5pm yesterday.I saw no change

[schlog]

11 hours ago, LivinginKata said:

Any one here think this curfew will be enforced ? I think not and it will very soon be forgotten.

Nope only worlds. Same like not enfored bus checks at check point at sarasin. Not saw a single check there since the big bus check starts about a week ago....tit.

[Lokie]

21 hours ago, losername said:

I don't get this.  If the vehicle/driver/load is unsafe for the hill at 6 am to 9 am and from 4 pm to 11 pm, why do they suddenly become OK outside those times?

because the powers that be say so, ah dum farangs no understand this is Thailand (in other words smoke and mirrors, has nothing what so ever to do with actual safety of anyone or anything...)

 

yesterday on way back from Karon towards Patong had the pleasure of being behind a tipper truck who decided to overtake a tour bus on one of the steepest hills with a blind S bend just near the peak.... I could not believe this maniac pulled out and was attempting the pass (actually I could as it is Thailand - Loon) the whole traffic was backed up behind this kamikaze manoeuvre as the tipper was hardly moving faster than the bus, on the down hill section back into Patong this Tipper truck went like a Bat out of Hell, this guy will kill someone, just a matter of when... I really think he must have been on drugs as he was that dangerous, absolute NUTTER!!

[losername]

49 minutes ago, Lokie said:

because the powers that be say so, ah dum farangs no understand this is Thailand (in other words smoke and mirrors, has nothing what so ever to do with actual safety of anyone or anything...)

 

yesterday on way back from Karon towards Patong had the pleasure of being behind a tipper truck who decided to overtake a tour bus on one of the steepest hills with a blind S bend just near the peak.... I could not believe this maniac pulled out and was attempting the pass (actually I could as it is Thailand - Loon) the whole traffic was backed up behind this kamikaze manoeuvre as the tipper was hardly moving faster than the bus, on the down hill section back into Patong this Tipper truck went like a Bat out of Hell, this guy will kill someone, just a matter of when... I really think he must have been on drugs as he was that dangerous, absolute NUTTER!!

So you've seen what we have all seen many times in Thailand.  My question really attempted to address the issues as to why would the powers limit the curfew to specific times when what clearly is needed is to keep the (******) heavy traffic off that road.

 

[Lokie]

On 8/24/2017 at 0:03 PM, losername said:

So you've seen what we have all seen many times in Thailand.  My question really attempted to address the issues as to why would the powers limit the curfew to specific times when what clearly is needed is to keep the (******) heavy traffic off that road.
 

I agree to an extent but it just moves the problem to another area... (as my post) is not the roads/s but lack of driving competence, training and law enforcement - general road safety

 

Just today as I passed over the hill at 10.30am towards Kathu on peak at Chinese Wat, some idiot had left a trail of diesel all down the road to bottom, I nearly lost my bike from under me and was very lucky I saved it but injured my left leg/foot in stamping down to save a wipe out, the poor unfortunate three Thai riders behind me all came off, luckily only sustaining cuts and minor gravel rash to elbows and arms. 

 

I stopped at the scene to retrieve my shoe which had shot off, it was knackered after beingh run over and the force of impact, I then stopped at the Police check point to report the danger (was wasting my time as a not an officer in sight) again lack of road safety and real training/competence, believe me as I type this my foot and leg are ThroBBing away nicely but at least I got off lightly I could ave ended up under the wheels of something... Until the root causes are addressed people are going to carry on getting injured and even dying on all thai roads but especially high risk ones like the hill

 

 

 

[DrDave]

At about 8:50 this morning, there was a line of 10 or so tour buses all idling along the side of Sai Kor, obviously waiting for the clock to strike 9am before heading up the hill. I did see a couple of renegades who had jumped the gun and headed uphill before 9, and as expected, there was no police presence to be seen anywhere for enforcement.

 

I'd give it a couple of days until all the drivers realize there's no enforcement of the curfew, and its back to business as usual. In the meantime, I don't think I'd want to be anywhere near that hill when the 9am starting gun marks the start of the daily tourist bus crawl.