Traffic Chaos

25 Mar

When winning second place is no great achievement

 

I just noticed an article in one of the tech sites that discussed the results of a recent survey by Tom Tom, the company that makes GPS mapping systems for navigation purposes. Lots of cars use Tom Tom software and I believe Apple Maps are based on Tom Tom data as well. I am guessing that these Tom Tom guys generally know what they’re talking about when it comes to traffic surveys. It seems they do one of these every year.  This year, Bangkok came second to Mexico City in having the worst traffic in the world. I am surprised Bangkok didn’t win, as the traffic at almost anytime of the day or night is horrible.

However, for people like me, the situation over the last 10 years has improved dramatically, even as the traffic has gotten worse. The Bangkok government has built an amazing mass transit system made up of skytrains and subways which can get one to or close to almost every part of the city without any aggravation. This has made my life easier. And when there is not a mass transit solution, there is always the motorcycle taxi which cares not for traffic. Sidewalks are fine for these guys. (There is even an Uber service for motorcycles called UberMOTO.)

So let’s hear it for a second place finish.  The way things are going in Bangkok, a first place might be possible next year.

7 thoughts on “Traffic Chaos

    • Well, it was me, Ron K who since 1983 has driven from the west side of the GTA to Downsview, so I have some experience in TO traffic circles, literally and figuratively

    • Based on my recent driving experiences in Toronto, I can go with that. Mind you, I suspect it’s bad everywhere, but Toronto is bad enough.

  1. Can the roads of Bangkok compete with the fissures and craters (small, large, staccato-like, wide, round, trapezoidal) of our wonderful, semi-solid streets of Montreal?

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