It can be quite dangerous for
people in wheelchairs to get from the Redemptorist Center to Big C Extra.
Warunya Thongrod
Pattaya officials say work will begin in January on a wheelchair
lane for disabled residents near the Redemptorist Vocational School for
Persons with Disabilities that falls far short of expectations.
Chief city hall architect Somchai Thaikul said the Soi Paniadchang lane will
not be separated from traffic by anything more than a painted line, a
revelation bound to disappoint wheelchair users already complaining about
parked cars and unpredictable traffic.
The city has allocated more than 3 million baht for the path from Big C
Extra on Central Road down the soi to the Redemptorist Center. Politicians
touting their benevolence toward the disabled made a big deal out of the
announcement, leading residents to believe the path would be separated from
traffic by a barrier.
Instead, the city somehow will manage to spend the 3 million baht giving the
side of the road some asphalt and a lick of paint.
Somchai said he hoped that Soi Paniadchang residents would respect the
painted line and not park in the lane, blocking wheelchairs as happens now.
But he admitted police will not actually fine anyone doing so and, thus,
officials can do little more than just hope for the best.
