Not going with flow

Re: “Traffic lights, camera, action”, ( BP, Aug 29).

I don’t think I have read anything quite so ludicrous in all my life about how to control traffic flow! When will Thailand wake up to the fact that there are countries throughout the world who use sophisticated computeraided means to control traffic?

They, I am sure, would willingly share how they have made some progress in improving traffic flow. When, indeed, will Thailand wake up to the fact that the following are some of the reasons for Bangkok’s poor traffic flow: Lack of road infrastructure, lack of road construction planning, lack of road maintenance, and lack of a quality driving instruction tests. Tests should include learning “roadcraft” — anticipation, lane discipline, signalling, moving out of the way of emergency vehicles, as well as how to brake, change gear and steer.

Road traffic laws are flouted without a qualm, there are no certificates of vehicle road worthiness, laws are not enforced by the police, and there is a lack of properly trained traffic police officers.

The argument about using an automatic system or using humans is absolutely pointless for the reasons given above, but even more so because the system is not automatic in the first place. If there were sensors placed to count the number of vehicles, and this data updated into a central programme which analyses it and uses a model to set the lights automatically citywide, then it could be described as automatic, and, in turn, become effective in controlling traffic flow. Putting untrained policemen to make those decisions at one junction, cannot possibly take into account what is happening elsewhere on the road system and, indeed, lead to uninformed decisions which impact negatively on traffic flow elsewhere.

Also, will drivers please not indicate right when they are turning left, I know they mean to move into the right-hand lane after their left turn manoeuvre, but they should indicate their intention to do so once they have turned left! MARTIN KNEATH