Col Suchart broke the news at the monthly Governor Meets the Press meeting held at the Ramada Plaza Chao Fah hotel on Chao Fa West Rd yesterday (July 25).
Col Suchart explained that feedback about the underpass since its official opening by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on July 8 had been good.
“The feedback from the public has been positive because the traffic flow is better than before. The rate of accidents has decreased and people can travel more conveniently,” he said.
However, Col Suchart also noted, “In the future, sooner or later an accident will happen in the underpass, and this may cause traffic jams due to the difficulty of removing vehicles from the tunnel.
“Also, due to the fact that the underpass is one lane each way, and the lanes are separated only by traffic poles that are not strong enough (to prevent vehicles from crossing into the oncoming lane), there is the chance that the vehicles heading in opposite directions will collide head-on.
“Therefore, we must conduct a drill with related agencies, such as municipal rescue workers, hospitals, and police officers working together,” he said.
No further details were available at this stage, Col Suchart said.
“We are currently in the process of drafting the plan,” he explained.
– Salima Tomard