First ‘smart crosswalk’ not so smart: Highway Department red-faced

The solar lamps, which cost Bt100,000 each, were embedded in the road in the heart of Hua Hin on Tuesday night to enable them to store energy for their first operational test the following night.
However, Apichart Charnthanyakorn, director of the Prachuap Khiri Khan’s Highways Office, said the yellow solar lamps were insufficiently bright to illuminate the crosswalk on Wednesday night.
Apichart said the cause could be reflected light from large LED billboards nearby drowning out the solar lamps.
Moreover, rains throughout most of the day in Hua Hin might have prevented the lamps from storing sufficient energy, he said.
Apichart said his office would experiment for a few more nights before deciding whether utilise other safety devices.