Royal Thai Police Region 2 officials have ordered Pattaya officials to do more to solve the city’s traffic woes.
Pol. Lt. Gen. Jithi Rodbangyang chaired a Dec. 1 meeting with Pattaya-area police stations, army officers, Land Transport Department officials, taxi associations and business owners about the congestion plaguing the city.
Pattaya Traffic Police commander Pol. Lt. Col. Wasuwat Chotechuang blamed public transport and motorbike taxi operators for much of the problem, saying crackdowns have failed to solve the problem.
Despite long-running public assertions there are too many baht buses and taxis on the road, Jithi claimed there is no way to reduce the number of vehicles due to Pattaya’s popularity. So officials simply need to manage traffic better.
The main issue, he asserted, was parking, with public transport vehicles blocking traffic lanes by parking illegally.
Another problem he said was private business owners encroaching on public land by illegally extending their buildings or blocking off public roads for customer parking.
Adjourning the meeting for a tour of the city, the Region 2 officer said the problems need to be fixed before high season hits its peak.
