Phuket Governor Sophon Suwannarat and Phuket Highways Office Chief Yutthana Phitak, along with a team of other officials, inspected the road over the hill yesterday (Nov 16).
The inspection followed local residents filing formal complaints about the condition of the road, which due to its heavy usage becomes slick, and especially slippery when wet.
Governor Sophon thanked the local residents for filing the complaint, and explained that he had assigned the Phuket Highways Office to address the problem, with the Kathu Municipality and the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation (PPAO) to provide the budget for the project.
Present yesterday to represent those organisations were Kathu District Chief Theeraphong Chuaychu, PPAO President Rewat Areerob and Kathu Deputy Mayors Somboon Airak and Somsong Prasansom.
Mr Yuttana explained that the road will be solved by using a ‘Single Surface Treatment’, which will reduce the slipperiness of the road surface. In lay terms, a special layer will be applied to the surface that will improve traction and extend the life of the road.
The plans for carrying out the road improvement are expected to be completed within one week, Mr Yuttana said.
“After that, we will coordinate to make sure the project receives urgent funding,” he added.
The Kathu District Office has prepared signs to warn tourists and other drivers of the condition of the road, Mr Yuttana said.
“I would like to ask people who drive over the hill to use extra caution as this is a mountainous and steep road,” Mr Yuttana said.
“It is normal on such steep slopes that vehicles such as trucks, when the air brake is pressed continuously, the brake air may run out,” he continued.
“Drivers are asked to check the condition of their vehicles and drivers [of large vehicles] who are new and not well-versed with this road should avoid this route, because if there are problems with the gearbox and you have to shift into neutral, this causes the vehicle to roll backwards and accidents can easily occur,” he said.
“Therefore, we request the cooperation of Phuket residents and tourists to use extra caution. Even after the road has been improved, it is important to drive with caution, mindfulness, calmness, and being considerate of one another. Take the route in order to be happy and avoid road accidents,” he concluded.
Mr Yuttana’s reference to trucks rolling backwards down Patong Hill followed a 59-year-old truck driver from Ubon Ratchathani being charged earlier this month after his six-wheeled truck failed to make it up Patong Hill.
The truck rolled backwards down the hill and narrowly escaped plunging over the side when it was stopped by the roadside barrier.
Following his inspection of the road over Patong Hill, Governor Sophon and his team visited the display nearby that was set up for Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin to review during his visit in late September.
The display explains the Patong Tunnel project and where roads for that project are to be built, which was explained to Governor Sophon, presumably again, yesterday.
However, no further updates on that project were provided yesterday.