Police are now locking the
wheels of motorcycles, the owners of which have violated the
alternate-side parking rules.
Warunya Thongrod
Police are again enforcing parking restrictions on South Road,
more than two years after regulations were enacted and quickly
forgotten.
Part of a 90-day crackdown on traffic scofflaws, the enforcement of
alternate-side parking on the crowded street has noticeably - and
predictably - improved traffic congestion, as well as netted traffic
police extra revenue from the approximately 40 tickets written a day.
Under the rules, first enacted in 2011 to combat South Road’s
quicksand-like traffic, parking is allowed on alternate sides of the
street on odd and even days. Violators have their wheels locked until
they pay 700 baht to the police station. Furthermore, police only allow
the left-turn traffic off Soi Buakaow which also helped improve evening
traffic flow considerably.
Traffic cops in Oct. received 50 wheel locks plus 300 traffic cones and
150 metal fences to regulate traffic from Pattaya City Hall.
Sub-Lt. Chanchai Sa-nguansaksee said many people, particularly
foreigners who can’t read the signs, still violate the parking laws.
Police are trying to better educate drivers, he said.
While some are happy with the reduced congestion and others upset over
the stepped-up enforcement, no one should get too worked up either way:
Police said the extra enforcement only runs through the end of January.
If history holds, people will be able to park wherever they want on
South Road again come February.
Ed’s note: Maybe they could also start fining the motorcyclists who park
on the footpath (seen behind the officer in the photo), as it is now
getting more difficult for pedestrians to walk in the area.
