New steps to ease Bangkok’s traffic woes
WITH a study confirming that Bangkok has the second worse traffic jams in the world after Mexico City, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has underscored his commitment to resolving this serious problem while the police is implementing new measures, the National News Bureau said today.
Police announced three measures to reduce traffic jams on weekends when many people travel in and out of the capital.
The measures call for more attention to the main roads in every part of the city, encouraging motorists to use Kanchanapisek Road and providing traffic services and communication channels around the clock such as Hotlines 197 and 1193.
Moreover, these measures will be evaluated with key indicators including the average traveling speed, total traveling time as well as convenience and safety.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration will organize Bangkok Car-Free Day 2016 on September 18 to encourage motorists to refrain from using their private automobiles.
Police named 16 roads with severe traffic problems as follows:
- Vibhavadi Rangsit;
- Chaeng Wattana;
- Phahonyothin ;
- Ngamwongwan;
- Baromrajchonnee;
- Phet Kasem Road;
- Rama 2;
- Sukhumvit;
- New Petchburi;
- Ramintra;
- Lat Phrao;
- Kaset-Nawamin;
- Ratchadapisek;
- Rakhamhaeng;
- Rama 4;
- Sathorn.
Deputy police spokesman Col Krisana Pattanacharoen said that traffic regulations will be strictly enforced on these 16 roads with senior police officers moving in to resolve problems which will lead to better traffic flow in byways, New)108 free daily said today.
At the same time police intend to raise public awareness of this issue and will be imposing heavier fines which would encourage people to toe the line.
Meanwhile the World Health Organization’s newly-reviewed fact sheet on road traffic injuries shows that around 1.25 million people die each year as a result of road traffic crashes.
Moreover road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death among young people, aged 15–29 years with 90% of the world’s fatalities on the roads occurring in low- and middle-income countries, even though these countries have approximately half of the world’s vehicles.
Half of those dying on the world’s roads are “vulnerable road users” such as pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists.
WHO added that without action, road traffic crashes are predicted to rise to become the 7th leading cause of death by 2030.
However the newly adopted 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Developments has set an ambitious road safety target of halving the global number of deaths and injuries from road traffic crashes by 2020.
CAPTIONS:
TOP: Bangkok’s traffic jams often do not ease up even late at night. Photo: Cristeen Quezon, (CC-BY-2.0)
INSET: A hard-working policeman directing traffic in Bangkok’s Chinatown. Photo: Mads Bødker, (CC-BY-2.0)
By Thai Residents reporters
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