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Officials demand changes to Beach Road construction
after motorbike accidents
Boonlua Chatree
Pattaya officials have ordered partially completed speed bumps /
wheelchair paths across Beach Road demolished and rebuilt after their
design was blamed for two more motorbike accidents last week.
The paths, 20cm high and seven meters wide, were designed to provide
easy access across the busy road for wheelchairs, as well as control
traffic speeds. However, after two more accidents were blamed on
construction of the ramps, Pattaya officials ordered the paths to be
lowered and widened.
The accidents, however, appeared to have more to do with speeding and
drunk driving than any design flaw.
Cyclist Akorn Aaworn struck a well-marked construction area around 4
a.m. Dec. 21 while riding an unlicensed Honda motorbike. He suffered
cuts the face and his helmet was found two meters from the body.
Police are assuming Khunakorn was drunk, as he sped through a zone lit
by flashing lights.
Sanit Inkhunthot, 25, of Srakaew flew off his Honda motorbike after
hitting another construction site, also suffering face wounds.
The victim blamed city hall for allowing construction that posed dangers
to motorcyclists speeding drunkenly through town in the middle of the
night.
Deputy Mayor Ronakit Ekasingh said the accessibility measures, part of a
139 million baht beachfront renovation project, are being installed at
the intersections of Soi 3, Soi 9 and near Walking Street. In the wake
of these two latest accidents, officials went to check on progress of
the construction.
He said the paths will now be lowered and widened to 15 meters so as to
not be such a jolt to moving vehicles.
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