Deputy Mayor Ronakit Ekasingh met with Pattaya residents to gather feedback about the city’s traffic-management plans.
Pattaya was granted a 43 million baht budget by the government last year to hire Asia Traffic Technology and Service Ltd. to take over the traffic system in Pattaya and organize traffic during rush hours, long holidays and annual events. After a year of operation, plans are to be made in order to reduce traffic congestion in Pattaya.
Kithipoj Permpoon of the organizing committee said that the project is to become a solution to traffic congestion in Pattaya during rush hours and over the long term. Roads in Pattaya must be carefully studied and shortcut routes are necessary.
The April 1 meeting at the Zign Hotel was held to provide an opportunity for road users to share their opinions and participate in the plans to help solve traffic problems.
Roads under study are Sukhumvit, Naklua, North, Central, South, Thepprasit, Beach, Second, Third, Jomtien Beach, Jomtien Second, Thappraya, and the railway-parallel roads.
Most of those attending complained there were no standards for public transport, which makes traffic bad.
Ronakit admitted the city has spent massively on plans and campaigns to solve traffic issues, but none have worked.
Community members attending the meeting represented less than 30 percent of the city’s residents, leaving critics calling the session a failure. There was no public notice of the meeting and the press was not invited.
