Vehicles falling off an expressway, cars plunging down a hole created by
land subsidence on a road surface, giant billboards collapsing on passersby -
all accidents that threaten the lives of Bangkok residents and are being
witnessed more frequently in the hustle and bustle of the big capital.
But these accidents could be
prevented if authorities paid more attention to safeguarding lives. Following
the latest accident on the Ratchawipa expressway on Wednesday, Expressway and
Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand governor Aiyanat Tinapai said ERAT would at
the end of this month install crash cushions on 18 high-risk Y junctions in
seven areas of its expressways.
He said the agency had already
installed other safety measures including warning signs and lights, rumble
strips on the surface, stickers 70 metres before Y-junctions - a safe distance
provided vehicles are not travelling at more than 80 kilometres an hour. The
cost of the crash cushions is Bt6 million.
Thailand Accident Research Centre
(TARC) reports show accidents of high-speed vehicles crashing in core (major traffic)
areas are caused by several factors including drivers' hesitation and poor
vision caused by too short a distance for drivers to make a decision.
Drivers can save lives by driving
slowly into junctions, and at night studying maps before travelling on
unfamiliar routes, and avoiding sudden lane changes.
Simple steps
State agencies can help prevent
accidents through simple and economical means such as extending the core area
in order to increase the distance long enough for drivers to make a decision,
and installing crash cushions in areas where core areas cannot be extended.
Following the catastrophic floods
of last year, city roads have witnessed more land cave-ins. The first took
place in March on Rama IV Road, followed by others on Rama III Road, in front
of Charoenkrung Pracharak Road and on Chaengwattana Road. A survey by the
Bangkok Metropolitan Administration shows 114 spots in 32 districts face a high
risk of land subsidence.
Deputy Bangkok Governor
Theerachon Manomaipibul said land subsidence was caused by the expansion of
urbanisation with more buildings, tap water pipe installations, and subway
routes. He said the Department of Public Works had been using ultrasound
systems to scan roads near canals and if cracks are found, road repairs are
carried out immediately.
Meanwhile, the collapse of a
giant commercial billboard that killed one person in Chom Thong district last
Sunday was not unprecedented. Every year similar accidents happen not once but
sometimes twice.
The incident prompted Bangkok
Governor Sukumbhand Paribatra to instruct 50 district chiefs to check every
billboard in their jurisdiction and a committee has been set up to review if
present city laws and regulations are strong enough to prevent more accidents.
A survey conducted early this
year found that 142 billboards violated city regulations, comprising 92 erected
on the ground and 50 on buildings.
Business & Investment Opportunities
YourVietnamExpert is a division of Saigon Business Corporation Pte Ltd, Incorporated in Singapore since 1994. As Your Business Companion, we propose a range of services in Strategy, Investment and Management, focusing Healthcare and Life Science with expertise in ASEAN. We also propose Higher Education, as a bridge between educational structures and industries, by supporting international programmes. Many thanks for visiting www.yourvietnamexpert.com and/or contacting us at contact@yourvietnamexpert.com
No comments:
Post a Comment