Mom always said "Look both ways before crossing the street"

[Gaybutton]

Pattaya’s ‘Raise your Hand’ zebra crossing signs, solution or mockery?

By Pattaya Mail

April 10, 2024

The streets of Pattaya have transformed into a dangerous arena, fraught with peril for both pedestrians and road users. On April 9, mounting frustrations boiled over as locals took their grievances to the mayor’s office, decrying the hazardous conditions exacerbated by the city’s inadequate traffic management.

Eyewitnesses recount harrowing tales of near misses and fatal accidents involving tourists and locals alike, victims of reckless drivers who brazenly flout traffic laws. Despite pedestrian signals, the streets remain a perilous obstacle course where even the most vulnerable such as an incident when a disabled individual in a wheelchair activated a pedestrian crossing signal, only to endure verbal abuse and intimidation from impatient motorists.

Despite the traffic lights signalling green for pedestrians, vehicles continued to plough through, narrowly avoiding collisions. Residents raised concerns over non-existent or poorly lit zebra crossings, posing a risk to pedestrians as motorists struggle to identify them, jeopardizing safety.

Chronic traffic congestion, fuelled by tour buses and careless double-parking, exacerbates the chaos, with malfunctioning traffic lights and closed pedestrian crossings compounding the risks. Calls for police intervention and stricter enforcement of traffic laws reverberate throughout the community, as residents fear for their safety and implore authorities to take urgent action.

Pattaya City has installed signs instruction pedestrians to raise their hand when wanting to cross the road at zebra crossings. This may seem unusual or even humorous at first glance, but it is a serious attempt to address pedestrian safety concerns in some areas. The concept behind this approach is to encourage drivers to yield to pedestrians by visually signalling their intention to cross.

However, its effectiveness depends on various factors such as driver awareness, adherence to traffic laws, and overall pedestrian behaviour. While the idea may seem unconventional, it reflects efforts to improve road safety and reduce accidents involving pedestrians.

The situation demands immediate attention before further tragedies unfold, underscoring the pressing need for comprehensive measures to safeguard the lives of all motorists and pedestrians in Pattaya.

https://www.pattayamail.com/news/pattay ... ery-457807

[Jun]

The only way they're going to have any success with pedestrian crossings is to combine traffic lights and cameras at the crossings.

Automatically send the fine for each offence to the registered keeper of the vehicle. He can either pay the fine, or fill in the form to tell the authorities who was driving it & should pay the fine.

As for the motivation to do that, well Pattaya can't even build a pedestrian crossing from one side of the road to the other. Numerous crossings only go half way. Particularly on second road.
So I don't hold out much hope for doing anything more difficult.

[Dodger]

Pattaya started imploding years ago when it's population exceeded 50,000. Now that the population has doubled (98,000) with no notable improvements to the infrastructure, including pedestrian safety measures, things could only get worse.

They're always planning to make improvements which are highlighted in the press at every opportunity - so there's definately no lack of planning that's for sure - but there's simply no execution. Either there's not enough money to support the projects they tout - or the money's there but somehow it mysteriously vanished.

This is seriously one of the reasons I chose to hang my hat elsewhere during retirement.

[Jun]

They're always planning to make improvements which are highlighted in the press at every opportunity - so there's definately no lack of planning that's for sure - but there's simply no execution. Either there's not enough money to support the projects they tout - or the money's there but somehow it mysteriously vanished.

This is seriously one of the reasons I chose to hang my hat elsewhere during retirement.

It almost appears as though every state controlled body in Pattaya is corrupt. Three obvious examples come to mind.
Even when they do "improvement" work, it's often the most shoddy job possible, so has no benefit. I've even seen towns in Cambodia with far better workmanship on public projects.
Of course it's perfectly possible to have work on pavements etc done to a high standard in Pattaya. Just look at the privately controlled area outside any major shopping mall.

However, if I ever move to Thailand, I expect it would be to Jomtien. The advantages appear to outweigh the disadvantages.

[Gaybutton]

Automatically send the fine for each offence to the registered keeper of the vehicle. He can either pay the fine, or fill in the form to tell the authorities who was driving it & should pay the fine.

I have a different take on that. In my opinion the owner of the vehicle is ultimately responsible for whatever violations, even if someone else was driving. If someone else was driving then the owner permitted it. I think the owner is responsible for the fine and he has to work it out with whoever he allowed to drive the vehicle. If the person who was driving refuses to cover the cost of the fine, guess who never gets to drive the vehicle again.

[Jun]

Whoever is driving the vehicle should be responsible for the fines and the points going on the license.
Otherwise, there is no incentive for that driver to improve behaviour.
Including, for example, drivers working for large corporations.

However, there should be no escaping from this. So if, for example, a motorcycle hire company cannot recover fines from people who have left the country, the motorcycle company should be liable. Incidentally, in 2024, there should be no technical reason why they can't immediately e-mail out the fine to any hire company that supplies an e-mail address.

This is all hypothetical, as the authorities won't be interested. The police priority in Pattaya appears to be limited to collecting tea money. I suspect that's more difficult once documentation of an offence exists.