Chao Fangum Road To Become One-Way

The Vientiane Administration Office informed the public that traffic on Chao Fangum road is to be restricted to one direction only and trials will take place during August and September.

The announcement was approved by Vientiane Authorities on August 6. The changeover to one way is part of traffic management measures to reduce congestion on the roads in Vientiane, especially during rush hours.

The original plan was to start the one way trial on August 1 but with the many preparations required they were not quite ready to start then so now it is expected to start this week. The one-way change means that traffic will no longer be allowed to travel eastwards along Chao Fangum road from the T-junction at Pakpasak college in Sikhottabong district.

Police officers and officials from involved sectors will be stationed on Chao Fangum road to give advice to drivers during the next two months of the trial.

“We will cooperate with the Ministry of Public Works and Transport as well as the media to help with giving advice and information about the change, and we expect to station our people on the road this week,” said Deputy Head of the Traffic Police Advertisement Unit of the Vientiane Traffic Police Office, Police Caption Sangkhom Phommalath.

He told the Vientiane Times last Friday that there were no traffic policemen along the road last week because further planning and discussion was needed before going to station in the area this week.

“After the next two months, other involved sectors will join with us in a meeting to analyse the trial before submitting the results to the Mayor,” he said.

Vientiane Department of Transport Traffic Management Division Director, Mr Somnuk Mektakul, said that now traffic management is going to be adjusted in Vientiane in order to ensure a smoother flow along the main roads in the city.

“Chao Fangum road changing to one-way in the westbound direction is just one of the traffic control measures we are trying, but we need to install better traffic signs and the link roads to Chao Fangum road should also be adjusted to meet the antici pated flow of traffic,” he said.

He added “I feel that the problem is not one of traffic congestion alone, I believe that the vehicles parked on the side of the roads block the traffic flow and that is particularly the case along Chao Fangum road. ”

The nearby road to Chao Fangum able to carry eastbound traffic is Settthathirath while Samsenthai road can also be used for westbound traffic.

About US$580,000 provided by the World Bank will be spent improving traffic management in the city as an immediate redress of the heavy traffic problems.

There are 1.28 million vehicles in total nationwide, of which more than 50 percent are being used in Vientiane.

Source: Vientiane Times