CityNews – Chiang Mai Traffic Police are still evaluating the one-way system on Nimmanhaemin Road, but claim that most residents and officials believe the system is working.
The new one-way system which began on December 25, will be trialed for three months, ending in late March. From then, police will decide whether to keep the one-way system as a permanent system or to return to the original two-way system.
Police Colonel Piyapan Pattarapongsin, superintendent of the Chiang Mai Traffic Police, said as the system is still new, some drivers are still confused. However, he also said that traffic police have set up signs and helped provide assistance to drivers in the area.
Police Colonel Piyapan added that despite the mixed reviews from residents in the Nimmanhaemin area, he believed most agreed that the new one-way system was better.
After recently inspecting in the area, Police Colonel Piyapan found that cars are parked more orderly, and that many more cars can park in the area as now they can park on both sides of the road. He added that there have been no problems or accidents due to the new one-way system so far.
Last week, CityNews interviewed two local people to see their opinions on the one-way system trial.
Chalat Boonparn, 26, says “solving [traffic] problems [by using the one way system] is not much different from what it used to be. It is quite confusing, which sois we can and cannot enter or exit. I have to plan my routes and it has taken time to get used to it.”
Suttipong Wongsorn, 28, said the one way system made drivers who didn’t know [about the system] break traffic rules. He believes the system is, at the very least, successful because the roads look more organised now. However, some spots are jammed as many vehicles are forced to head the same way.