Hundreds caught up in huge traffic jam in Samui
KOH SAMUI: On February 12th hundreds of people were caught up in a massive traffic jam from Maenam to Bophut.
Traffic from Maenam to Bophut was slow as usual thanks to the weekly walking street market however by 7pm traffic was backed up and at a standstill from Maenam all the way to the massive traffic jam in SamuiFishermans village traffic lights. By 8-30 the queue was backed up the Santi Buri resort west of Maneam and did not clear until gone 10pm.
One driver in the queue by Maenam Soi 5 told us “ it took us 30 minutes to get from Soi 5 to Soi 3 at this point we turned off and went home to get our motorbike, we were over an hour late for a dinner appointment, we have never seen traffic like it”.
Another driver, who came to a standstill by Santi Buri and hour later said “it took me one hour to get from Santi Buri to Soi 5, it is utterly ridiculous””.
So far no accidents have been reported, the cause of the queue has been put down to heavy traffic at a busy time of year on the island and the walking street market traffic.
Many residents have been complaining of heavy traffic on the roads especially around the Maenam Walking Street Market on Thursdays and the Bophut Walking Street Markets on Fridays, however the north coast of the island seems to suffer from heavy traffic between the two villages from around 4pm each day.
It is becoming clear that the islands ring road is struggling under the weight of increased traffic in high season, with no plans for a second ring road it seems there is no end in sight and queues will become ever more common place on an island never designed to cope with the amount of cars presently on the island.
Source: http://www.samuitimes.com/hundreds-caught-up-in-huge-traffic-jam-in-samui/
-- Samui Times 2016-01-13