Bangkok Traffic Junctions

[The Enforcer!]

I am both perplexed and frustrated!

For years when driving down South Sathorn Road one has been stopped from turning right into Th. Narathiwatratchanakarin at Junction 220 as the traffic lights never operated.

At APEC new lights were installed and the right turn was used.

After APEC the use of the right turn has diminished to the point where it is random!

Last Friday night it was in use two cycles before my car got to the front then it stayed red!

Is it merely down to the whim of the Duty Officer or is there a way of seeking policy clarification here?

The Enforcer!

[Nekochan]

Dear Khun Enforcer,

This is a normal practice of BMA and Thai police. You may name it malpractice, I always agree. Most of these guys have no clues whatsoever about how to do basic traffic management.

They intend to cut many phases (in one cycle) as much as possible!! Driving from South Sathorn to Suriwong, turn right to Naratiwat (NO!). You need to use Soi Silom 9 intersection to u turn back to North Sathorn and turn left to Naratiwat. They say too many turns .... too much delay, too long queue, blah blah blah.

They want smooth traffic (that is pseudo traffic engineering!). I have never heard about that word before. Less traffic movement, less conflict, less delay, more speed, MORE SMOOTH FLOW. You may notice no right turn, no u turn, NO THRU traffic! (particularly beneath flyover) They just want you to do left turn only.

Whenever they find no way to battle traffic nightmare!!, just build a flyover one after another and another ..... and another. And they are about to build more in BKK.

Sustainable traffic solutions, perhaps!

[The Enforcer!]

I notice that most/all junctions that have or had traffic signals in Bangkok have a three digit code - Sathorn with Narathiwatratchanakarin is 220 for example.

Is there a definitie list available on any URL?

The Enforcer!

[pong]

oooff! Iam so glad they all now have a blue board telling the name in thai and english! Ive never notefd these nrs, but maybe can you tell more exactly where to search for them (I mean: on that board, separate shield? or on the traffic lights?)

[Nekochan]

ATC stands for Automatic Traffic Control System

It starts with 2-3 digit numbers. BMA call them ATC junction numbers. Sathorn/Naratiwat is ATC220.

ATC1 (phase 1) was first initiated during Gen Chamlong's (yes!, that holy man!!) era. It continued during Mr. Cristada's and Mr. Pichit's admins (ATC2).

Both were a flop when they cannot accomodate high traffic. Each ATC intersection can adjust consecutive cycle length for every 6 secs or so. Average cycle length was (I try to remember) ... 150 secs.

BKK has to many soi (local) but not enough collectors. Too many u-turns and interuptions. Traffic cops didn't like it, they wanted to do it manually (longer cycle time). And we block the roads too often (You may guess .... I am not going to write this!!)

ATC had to restart every time when someone turn offed the system. When it did not work, cops turned them off forever. What you see now is fixed timing traffic control (must be very late a night).

[The Enforcer!]

Originally posted by pong
oooff! Iam so glad they all now have a blue board telling the name in thai and english! Ive never notefd these nrs, but maybe can you tell more exactly where to search for them (I mean: on that board, separate shield? or on the traffic lights?)
The ATC number appears in Yellow under the actual name of the junction, and in big black on white stickers on the ATC control box.

The Enforcer!

[The Enforcer!]

Originally posted by Nekochan
ATC stands for Automatic Traffic Control System


Thansk - is there a list?

The Enforcer!

[Nekochan]

I have in powerpoint!! where could I send it?

It was old database in 2002.

[The Enforcer!]

Originally posted by Nekochan
I have in powerpoint!! where could I send it?

It was old database in 2002.
To my office please: accounts@matchcorp.org

The Enforcer!

[The Enforcer!]

Can someone advise me which of the various authorities actually decides:

1. Which junctions have traffic lights?

2. Which junctions will have 'No Right Turns'?

3. The layout of a new Junction?

Is it the Police, BMA or what?

The Enforcer!

[Yappofloyd]

Khun Enforcer,

Such important transport planning and policy decisions are made in reference to the outcome of the govt. 2 & 3 digit lottery results by the BMA Transport section, determinations are then sent to an unknown comittee in OTP full of people on 'inactive posts' for review. Such review is sent to the local police commander for 'tea-money' donation evaluation. Then TAT spends a huge amount of money to assess the impact of traffic lights upon tourists and especially whether or not there is potential to slow tourist traffic and thus create an expensive and unique tourist attraction in the area and space for hawhers and tuk-tuks. The govts HUB committee then undertakes a study to see if the intersection concerned can become a certified Asian HUB intersection thus drawing more traffic through the intersection. Final input is then taken by NESAB to see the effects of such changes will have on social mobility of BMW and Mercedes Benx drivers or anyone else filthy rich.

Finally, local politicians try to outbribe each other in having the porject either implemented or stalled depending on the whims of their constituency or if it may delay them getting home to the wife after a quick visit to the minor wife. Procurement is then underatken with inbuilt inflated prices to ensure that everyone gets a bit of the cost of the contract. Installation in then underatken without reference ot the plans or activities of any other ultility dept. and in disregard of any local transport plan which probably doesn't actually exist anyway.

[Nekochan]

I got some data from people working for ATC2 Project years ago. (ATC2 stands for Area Traffic Control Phase2)

It is Traffic and Transport Bureau of BMA (Sor Jor Sor in Thai) who sets standard for traffic controls, signs, marking and everything related to projects under its jurisdiction.

But it is traffic police who do traffic management. Sometimes (most of the time) they disagree to what BMA does, particularly traffic control settings and signs. Thai police tend to do something very unothordox just like:

Left turn on red (always), outer lane traffic can go thru insection during red (mostly T juctions), extremely long cycle time and no fixed phasing and a lot of ... you know that.

To much right turn conflict? they inform a traffic committee to have "NO RIGHT TURN" sign. Violation? They blocked the intersection by concrete barriers (with consent from BMA, too)

Pre-time signal? NO! they do it manually!! Not enough police? They turn some signal off!!

Let's say how many signals were installed but not in use??

Sukhumvit 101, Sukhumvit 65, Sukhumvit 50 (Lotus Onnut), Sukhumvit 39 (Soi Samitwej), Sukhumvit 55/Phetburi and etc.

Besides, BMA itself is to be blamed for "indifferent" approach for traffic solutions. There are many accidents reported, but they have hardly done enough to improve the situations. :(

[The Enforcer!]

Thanks guys.

Probably a waste of time but I really would love the BMA to relook at Junctions 220 and 219 which respectively have no Southbound Right turn then a U-turn which is 50% of the time blocked by north-bound graffic jumping the lights!

I'll drop them a letter!

The Enforcer!

[The Enforcer!]

From reading The Nation and The Bangkok Post yesterday I have come to the conclusion that Bangkok has two junctions called 'Ladprao'!

Why?

... because The Nation reads 'TRAFFIC JAMS AT LADPRAO' and the Bangkok Post reads 'NO TRAFFIC JAMS AT LADPRAO'!

The Enforcer!

[ncr]

No traffic jam at Lat Phrao Intersection??? Are they kidding? :eek:

Absolutely impossible, even in times when they don't construct flyovers, forcing them to close several lanes to traffic.

[Yappofloyd]

and the Bangkok Post reads 'NO TRAFFIC JAMS AT LADPRAO'! The Enforcer!
^ agreed. Surely a contradiction in terms!

Even after the new fly-over (what is the obsession with fly-overs in this country!?) is constructed there will be traffic jams!