“Observing traffic daily, I see a surge in private cars, along with persistent traffic violations,” he told The Phuket News.
“Some drivers recklessly cut across lanes, blocking turn lanes and causing unnecessary congestion. Drivers refuse to wait for the next green light, forming long queues that trap other vehicles,” he added.
For local residents, the blame lies squarely on the rapid influx of people moving into the area and the increase in the number of visitors now staying in newly built tourist accommodation developments, along with worsening road conditions, traffic mismanagement and the increasing presence of construction trucks in narrow streets.
“The area has seen a huge influx of newcomers, both Thais and foreigners, some of whom plainly disregard traffic laws. It’s not just the people moving here ‒ tourists also contribute to the increasing number of cars and motorbikes rented,” said Ko Eak, a resident of Cherng Talay.
Fellow resident Khun Gam pointed out that rapid development, a growing workforce and limited road infrastructure have worsened traffic conditions.
“The roads and traffic lights remain the same, but the number of people has increased. You can’t keep things as they are ‒ police need to monitor traffic signals at key points, and Cherng Talay OrBorTor should expand roads where necessary,” she said.
Local resident Khun Gift believes that large vehicles, particularly trucks, are a significant cause of congestion. “For example, when there’s a red light on a secondary road and it turns green, the large size of trucks blocks the main road, causing congestion and preventing motorcycles from passing. I see this happen every morning and evening,” she explained.
Khun Gam also highlighted the problem of road construction. “The rapid development in Cherng Talay has led to an increase in truck traffic, and road construction work often takes place during peak hours, causing severe blockages.
“It’s frustrating that fixing the roads, like those in Soi Laguna and from Boat Avenue 1 to Cherng Talay 16, has taken a long time,” she said.
Additionally, roads in areas like Cherng Talay 14 and in front of Cherng Talay Wittaya School are in poor condition, she noted. “The lane markings are nearly gone, and the roads are not properly paved,” Khun Gam said.
One local foreign resident, “Sebastien”, noted, “Sometimes, we can’t solely blame tourists for not following the rules. Traffic police also need to strictly enforce regulations and always be present when needed, like I see many illegal parking along streets, particularly parking on red and white lines.
“I think local authorities should experience long hours stuck in traffic by themselves, which is not pleasant. From what I can see obviously that construction projects take too long to complete,” he added.
“There should be police officers monitoring traffic from 7am to 7pm and stricter enforcement of parking rules to keep traffic flowing,” Ko Eak agreed.
Some residents criticised the local authorities’ traffic management decisions, with many believing that certain measures have only worsened the problem.
“For example, closing the roundabout at Heroines Monument before entering Cherng Talay has made traffic even worse. It’s a sloppy solution,” Khun Na said.
Many locals feel that the growing number of tourists is overwhelming the island’s infrastructure. Khun Som summarized the issue, saying: “Traffic is very heavy because there are more tourists than the infrastructure can handle.”
SUGGESTIONS FROM THE STREET
“Public transportation can be helped by expanding bus routes throughout the province that could help tourists to reduce reliance on private vehicles, easing congestion,” Khun Na suggested.
“If there were more buses, people might not need to rent cars or motorbikes as much,” Khun Som said.
Khun Som also urged for time restrictions for trucks. “I think Cherng Talay should apply similar to the policy in Patong, specific time slots for large trucks and buses could be implemented to avoid peak traffic hours,” she said.
Khun Gift pointed out that the improved road maintenance and infrastructure are essential to addressing the traffic issues in Phuket. “Cherng Talay OrBorTor and Cherng Talay Municipality must prioritise the timely completion of ongoing road construction projects to minimise disruptions and prevent prolonged congestion,” she said.
For Khun Som, a big part of the problem was that it seemed local officials were ignoring how much traffic was affecting their daily lives.
“Listen to the local concerns and address the problems more strategically. Cherng Talay can be a tourist city, but traffic management needs to improve. Adding more routes and improving policies could help,” she said.
For Khun Na, the critical point was: “The number of tourists is too high, and local authorities can’t manage it effectively. Limit the number of visitors or introducing better measures to handle them,” she urged.
EXASPERATION
The Phuket News presented the local residents’ opinions and suggestions to Mr Manoch, who in response made no attempt to disguise the exasperation in his voice.
For Mr Manoch, the number of taxis now operating in the area and the huge increase in illegal parking beside the road, blocking traffic, were two key issues.
“Most of the violations involve taxis. It’s hard to control because people keep doing it. Some drivers cut into the lane in front of Lotus’s shopping centre, causing severe traffic jams. We need the public’s help to report these violations. The police are trying, but it requires cooperation from everyone,” he said.
Regarding construction trucks, he said, “For me, if construction trucks run at night, it will cause noise problems… But I can’t halt construction. Buildings need to be completed, and other local residents also rely on cement mixer trucks [for their buildings]. Finding a fair solution is difficult,” he added.
Traffic Police in Cherng Talay also told The Phuket News that they were doing the best they could.
“When someone reports it, we rush to respond,” traffic officer Pol Sgt Piyawut said. “We deploy officers, including OrBorTor staff, to manage traffic in Cherng Talay, especially during rush hours when schools are let out.
“To ease congestion, traffic police have placed cones along the road to prevent illegal turns and enforce a straight flow of traffic,” he added.
Pol Sgt Piyawut agreed that illegal parking, especially by taxis, is a major issue. “Most cars stop only shortly, but it happens so often that it becomes a constant problem,” he said.
“We lock wheels every day, but some drivers take off before we can get there. Also, many drivers return daily to retrieve their keys after their cars are chained [and the drivers fined], but it seems to be having little effect,” Pol Sgt Piyawut said.
BIGGER SUPPORT
Mr Manoch openly called for more help in resolving the traffic woes in the area, from more government departments and agencies, especially those “higher up” that have more authority to intervene and the resources to carry it out.
He stressed the importance of collaboration between various sectors, including Cherng Talay Police, district officials, highway authorities and the Ministry of interior to analyse the problem from multiple perspectives.
Mr Manoch highlighted while immediate traffic issues are being tackled daily, a broader long-term strategy is needed.
“This issue cannot be solved by the OrBorTor alone, it requires cooperation from multiple sectors,” he said.