Phuket bus ban trial date pushed back, limited to traffic-heavy hours

PHUKET: The Patong Hill bus ban, set to begin by the end of February, will only bar buses and large trucks from crossing Phuket’s most infamous hill from 6am to 9am and 4pm to 7pm.

“We will not prevent buses from using the hill to enter Patong all day, just during rush hour,” Phuket Land Transport Office (PLTO) Chief Terayout Prasertphol told the Phuket Gazette yesterday.

“We are especially concerned about bus brake failure when there is a large volume of traffic on the road.”

Signs detailing the prohibited large vehicle access times will be set at the bottom of the hill in Kathu, said Mr Terayout.

“Trucks with more than six wheels and buses will have to utilize alternate routes via the Karon and Kamala Hills,” he added.

The bus ban was originally to start within two weeks of January 9 (story here).

“Further meetings were delayed by anti-government protesters closing government buildings throughout the island,” said Mr Terayout.

“We expect another meeting to appoint an officer to enforce the ban to be held by mid-February, and the ban to be enforced as soon as possible after that.”

— Irfarn Jamdukor