News Forum - Phuket MP urges swift action on delayed Patong Tunnel

[Thaiger]

Phuket MP Chalermpong Saengdee recently took the floor in the House of Representatives, using his platform to challenge the ongoing delay in the construction of the much-anticipated Patong Tunnel. The Speaker of the House and the Deputy Minister of Transport were present to hear his concerns. With a reputation as a renowned tourist hotspot, Patong’s … …

The story Phuket MP urges swift action on delayed Patong Tunnel as seen on Thaiger News.

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[PhuketBloke]

The so-called mountain dividing Kathu and Patong is not much more than a hill in effect, I have traveled on it hundreds of times.

I have noticed a few reasons it is made to be dangerous though, cars, lorries, and busses drive down the inclines on their brakes as can be seen by the brake lights, they do not seem to realize it is safer to put the vehicle into second gear (even with automatic gears) and let the engine do the braking.

A lot of trucks and cars fail to stop on the bends of the hill and end up on the other side of the road as their brakes have overheated and failed.

Plus I have seen when I take my own car for the annual test they put my car on a rolling machine and press the brake pedal for a second, that is the extent of the safety test, why bother at all?

Annual safety tests in the UK for example take at least an hour to perform. 

 

[Vigo]

This tunnel talk has been going on for decades. The hill of death has been  the subject of multiple crashes and injuries for decades too.  There is a fix to the issue but it would require common sense, responsible driving and some competent civil engineering.

[PhuketBloke]

1 hour ago, Vigo said:

This tunnel talk has been going on for decades. The hill of death has been  the subject of multiple crashes and injuries for decades too.  There is a fix to the issue but it would require common sense, responsible driving and some competent civil engineering.

Or just basic driving skills and vehicle annual safety checks. 

The drivers in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and Italy who drive on real mountain ranges do not crash with the same frequency as the drivers on the hill between Kathu and Patong.

Edited October 28, 2023 by PhuketBloke
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[TheDirtyDurian]

49 minutes ago, PhuketBloke said:

Or just basic driving skills and vehicle annual safety checks. 

The drivers in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and Italy who drive on real mountain ranges do not crash with the same frequency as the drivers on the hill between Kathu and Patong.

They're probably not drinking and driving in shorts and flip flops on their way home either.