Editor;
Re Sean’s letter in last week’s edition: I am not sure whether the horses ran amok in all directions knocking down pedestrians in Dodge City USA but change motorcycles for horses and that is what you have in Pattaya. I noticed the report about the police checkpoints on Sukhumvit and whilst this is welcome, their attention should be directed at Beach Road, Second Road, Soi Buakaow and the small connecting sois where tourists walk at constant risks to their lives.
Motorcycles in particular drive at reckless speeds zig zagging in narrow roads. Visit any hospital casualty department and you will see a constant stream of bandaged tourists. To a foreign observer there does not appear to be any realistic control of traffic, no police on foot, no patrol cars. I have still not worked out the purpose of the crossings. They are always green to traffic and red to humans. Press the button to cross and nothing will happen. I have observed these crossings hundreds of times and pressed the button many times and never have I seen the traffic light changed to red. These crossings are a positive danger to people because the driver will say the light was green when he knocked the person down and claim not responsible.
What should be done? Put speed humps in the narrow sois, make the crossings work, have police without uniform to catch speeding and dangerous drivers and issue high fines as a deterrent. Those who cannot or will not pay should have their vehicles seized and sold off to provide funds to increase the number of paid police hours.
I have been coming to Pattaya for 25 years and seen the continuous expansion but when will city hall halt new building of hotels, condominiums and shopping centres? All these factors increase people and hence traffic but the roads in central Pattaya have not changed for at least 30 years. At the present rate Pattaya will completely seize up. Have you ever wondered why you never see elderly people trying to cross second road at night? The answer is that they cannot move quick enough.
Garfield,
London/Penthouse Hotel
