Bangkok strives to be 'smart city' to ease traffic

[webfact]

Bangkok strives to be 'smart city' to ease traffic
YUKAKO ONO, Nikkei staff writer

BANGKOK -- Seeking ways to solve issues in a rapidly urbanizing Thailand, Japanese companies, academics and the Thai government are working together to create so-called "smart cities" in the country.

"We can use technology to reduce Thailand's heavy traffic jams," Transportation Minister Arkom Termpittayapaisith told a seminar titled "Asia Smart City Summit" in Bangkok on Wednesday.

Indeed, many of Bangkok's traffic lights are still controlled manually by police stationed at intersections. "The Thai police don't believe in information technology that much," said Arkom, insisting that an urbanized city needs to be controlled by digital technology. He also vowed to accelerate the usage of technical data to analyze and control traffic flow.

Full story: http://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Trends/Bangkok-strives-to-be-smart-city-to-ease-traffic

-- NIKKEI ASIAN REVIEW 2016-02-18

[ratcatcher]

"The Thai police don't believe in information technology that much," said Arkom,

Indeed.

[Gsxrnz]

If the numptie BIB left the traffic lights alone (and this goes for Pattaya as well), there would rarely be a traffic jam.

I once got a three day tan sitting at the red light because the numptie was away from his switchbox gathering tea money. He forgot he was supposed to turn them over.

And THATS why there are traffic jams in Thailand.

[Jdietz]

2009 called, they want their article back.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/technology/Technology-to-help-poorly-designed-city-30103010.html

[ezzra]

That will be a good idea having a ' smart city ' if the people who are running the city would have been also

smart to begins with, but they're clearly not, judging from all the daily mayhem on the capitol's roads,

to talk and wish smart is one thing, to implement and execute is another.....

[jaywalker]

2009 called, they want their article back.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/technology/Technology-to-help-poorly-designed-city-30103010.html

LOVE it!!!

[PatOngo]

That's the funniest thing I've read in days!

[rkidlad]

You also need police enforcing traffic laws. Yesterday, on the way to work, I approached the traffic lights with 4 lanes. Everyone was in the right three lanes trying to turn right or u-turn. Cars were just cutting in because why should they have to wait? It was pandemonium.

[Briggsy]

I will retranslate the article.

Thai Ministry of Transport purchase technology from Japan in order to rake off 30% of the budget.

[Thian]

Bottom line: Bangkok needs Police. Well what else is new.

[samsensam]

charge people to drive into the center of the city as they do in london. problem solved.

oh, but first you need an efficient and effective public transport system to take up the slack.

[NCC1701A]

i wonder what the Japanese engineers are thinking when they see the huge unworkable crazy mess of exposed power lines mixed up with cable and internet lines draped all over utility poles with no rhyme or reason in Bangkok?

[thrilled]

When there are more vehicles than road it don't make A difference how smart people are.Years ago when more people started driving they needed to build more roads.I don't see this problem improving anytime soon

[NCC1701A]

"Indeed, many of Bangkok's traffic lights are still controlled manually by police stationed at intersections."

Japanese Engineer: "what is your job?"

Thai policeman: "I sit in box, push button. make cars stop and go."

Japanese Engineer: "oh yes, like my great grandfather 100 years ago."

Thai policeman: "yes but he no have Facebook to look at. Where Japan? Next to USA and UK?"

[BSJ]

Ha Ha Ha! The replies crack me....and so does the article from the 1st post.

[FloridaExport]

If the numptie BIB left the traffic lights alone (and this goes for Pattaya as well), there would rarely be a traffic jam.

I once got a three day tan sitting at the red light because the numptie was away from his switchbox gathering tea money. He forgot he was supposed to turn them over.

And THATS why there are traffic jams in Thailand.

It's not quite that simple. You'd still have motorcycles weaving in and out of traffic making it hard to switch lanes, buses slowing down in the middle of the road to let off passengers, and people parking along busy thoroughfares because they can't be bothered to find a real parking spot. Automation of lights would definitely help though.

[Jeremy50]

It's too late you fools.

[bark]

I've lived here for over 10 years; and driving for about eight years. I cannot tell you how many times I have been stuck on the expressway coming in to Bangkok at rush hour; and the police stop all traffic for 1-2 hours.

[oldsailor35]

Is Bangkok about to become the "HUB" of smart cities.

[arthurboy]

And some light reading to accompany this article: http://www.trafficpolice.go.th/download/Traffic_problems_and_solution_in_Bankok.pdf

Remember this? http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/874805-police-to-launch-5-measures-to-ease-traffic-in-bangkok-in-3-months/

Bangkok's finest have nearly two weeks to meet Prayut's deadline or face the consequences.

A collective holding of breath by the TV community might come in handy here...

[kotsak]

I stopped reading after "smart city"

[MockingJay]

A "smart city" would neither have any combustion engine car and motorbike traffic, nor would it be hidden under a yellowish dome of exhaust fumes.

[casindonet]

2009 called, they want their article back.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/technology/Technology-to-help-poorly-designed-city-30103010.html

it's only february & they aleady ran out of ideas......reruns

[dominique355]

Thai police still believe that stopping all traffic from one street while letting all other traffic run will help to keep the traffic flowing.

Synchronising 2 intersection at 30m distance is totally unknown.

Traffic management is not unknown but actually unwanted.

[taony]

Oh this is great, thank you so much! on my way to a meeting, this will help me get through it!

[Bobobirdiebuddy]

I think they should consider that idea a Thai general had a few years ago to get fleets of helicopters to roam the skies, lifting stalled cars into the air and transporting them to some unknown destination. That should be worth a few baht to someone..

[Thian]

Is Bangkok about to become the "HUB" of smart cities.

Yup and Thailand is the hub of "strong" countries. They just learned that word and i see it everywhere now, even dogs are called "strong", stlong that is.

Bangkok has songthaews, rikshaws, taxi's, minivans,citybuses,metro, skytrain, motocytaxi, riverboatexpress, longtails, and it's still a total chaos...

i'm waiting for helicopters though.

[anon467367354]

I have yet to figure this stuff out. On Phradipat at Saphan Daeng, the red light is 112 seconds, there is virtually no traffic

coming from Rama V at all. The light turns green for 17 seconds, 4 cars make it through.

It's been like that for 10 years, it doesn't make sense!

[madmitch]

If the police had wanted it, all lights would have computerised years ago. But they don't. They might have to do some real police work if the cushy traffic light jobs were taken away from them by a machine.

Same in Phuket. I was once near the front of the traffic queue at the Central intersection as the numbers were counting down. As it got to one motorbikes slowly edged forward and as then accelerated as zero was expected. The problem was the light remained red as the lights had just been taken over by the police. Carnage was somehow avoided as the cars coming from the right managed to stop, despite the green light remaining on. They'd probably slowed down as their countdown would also have been taking place.

I'm sure there are many more stories and I'm sure that several accidents have been caused by this system. And why, when police are actively controlling the lights, are red-light runners simply ignored by them? Of course, that's not their job; multi-tasking is not something that Thai police seem to be proficient at.

[Laughing Gravy]

It would take 15-20 years to make Bangkok and efficient and smart city to drive in if they had the same amount of cars. that is if they started today and continued everyday on the roads. basically all the roads would need restructuring, roads and residential area closed. so the chances of this happening in time are. zero.