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MASTER PLAN NEWS 2000
This section contains news of the Master Plan, overall Bangkok development,
the Bangkok Governor's development plans, and articles about interconnecting
mass transit projects.
Mass Transit News main page
Transportation
Megaprojects - 2000 - 2006
Matichon Daily, September 24, 2000
On September 20, 2000, the Priority Allocation for Megaproject
Committee led by Dr. Trairong Suwannakhiree and other state agencies (NESDB,
MRTA, SRT, MOTC, MOF, ETA [Expressway and Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand
- http://www.eta.or.th]) have settled megaproject priorities according
to rules set by the NESDB as follows (The following lists only selected
projects relating to the Bangkok metropolitan area):
1) Projects that need to be completed on time according to
the contract
1.1 Initial Stage MRTA Blue Line -> Bangsue - Hua Lamphong
1.2 Double Railway Tracks -> Talingchan - Nakhon Pathom
2) Projects that need strong support to start
2.1 Bang Yai - Ban Pong - Pak Tho - Cha Am Motorway
2.2 Southern Kanchanaphisek Outer Ring Road -> Bang Khunthian -
Bang Plee
2.3 Skytrain Extensions - Samrong, Taksin, and Rama III
2.4 Entry Routes to New Bangkok International Airport - from Eastern
Kanchanaphisek Outer Ring Road, Onnut Road, Rom Klao - King Kaeo Road,
Bang Na - Bang Pakong Highway, Bangkok - Chonburi Motorway
2.5 Hopewell Revival Plan -> Rangsit - Hua Lamphong, Yommarat -
Hua Mark
2.6 Northern Bangkok Transportation Center at Phaholyothin Depot
and Old Mochit Bus Terminal
2.7 Industrial Ring Road (Royal Project) -> Rama III - Rot Fai Sai
Kao - Poojao Samingphlai - Pra Pradaeng - Jaeng Ron - Mahaisawan - Rama
III
2.8 MRTA Blue Line Southern Extension -> Hua Lamophong - Tha Phra
- Bang Waek
3) Projects that need to be revised before implementation
3.1 Dao Khanong - Bang Khuntian - Samut Sakhon Expressway
3.2 Phayathai - Phuttha Monthon - Nakhon Pathom Expressway
3.3 Ram Indra - Eastern Outer Ring Road Expressway
3.4 Chonburi - Pattaya - Mab Ta Phut Motorway (extension of Bangkok
- Chonburi Motorway)
3.5 The 3rd Stage Expressway, Nonthaburi - Kaset Intersection (N1)
and At Narong - Bang Na (S1)
4) New projects (not under the NESDB) being considered due
to their strong transportation potential - ready to be implemented by
2006
4.1 Mass Transit System Along the Sri Rat Expressway -> Chaeng Watthana
- Bang Sue - Victory Monument (16.5 km)
4.2 Mass Transit System Along the Chalong Rat Expressway -> Ram
Indra - Ekkamai (13 km)
4.3 Mass Transit System Along the Chaloem Mahanakhon Expressway
-> Rama IV - Klong Toei - Doa Khanong (12 km)
4.4 The 4th Stage Expressway -> Samut Prakarn - Suk Sawat - Rama
II (12 km)
4.5 The 5th Stage Expressway -> Rama II Highway - Phet Kasem Road
- Nonthaburi (23.8 km)
4.6 Sri Nakharin - Bang Na - Samut Prakarn Expressway (13.8 km)
4.7 Bridge Across Chao Phraya at Kaik Kai Intersection (12 km)
4.8 Bridge Across Chao Phraya at Pakkret Intersection (15.7 km)
The Committee will submit this priority list to Subcommittee
of Large Scale Transportation and OCMLT before sending it the cabinet
for approval. The owners of the projects in group 1 will have to submit
monthly reports to the OCMLT and the projects in other group will have
to submit quaternary (trimonthly) reports to OCMLT. During the 6-year
period (2000-2006), 600 billion baht (about US$ 15 billion) will be needed
to implement all of these projects.
Commentary by Wisarut: The Expressway and Rapid Transit
Authority of Thailand was established by the Coup Decree of 290 on November
29, 1972. However, the First Stage Expressway (Chaloem Mahanakhon) was
finished in 1987. Even though ETA has been assigned to construct mass
transit systems along the expressways, I don't think that they will come
up with any real ones very soon due to the economic downturn.
Nevertheless, ETA has scheduled the following projects:
Chaeng Watthana -> Bang Sue -> Victory Monument 16.5 km 2005
Ram Indra -> Ekkamai 13 km 2005
Rama IV -> Klong Toei -> Doa Khanong 12 km 2007
For Chiang Mai Mass Transit System, ETA has scheduled the
following projects:
Chiang Mai Bureaucrat Center -> Upakhut -> Buak Krok 12.3 km 2005
Hang Dong Intersection -> San Sai Intersection 8.6 km TBA
Chiang Mai University -> Jaeng Sri Phoom 4.5 km TBA
Saeng Tawan Intersection -> Chiang Mai Land 2.0 km TBA
If the ETA has successfully implemented three mass transit
systems along the expressways of Bangkok in 2007, the stations will be:
Chaloem Mahanakhon Line - 12 km
1) Rama IV - connects with Bon Kai Station of MRTA Blue Line
2) Port Authority of Thailand
3) Chuea Ploeng - near Exxon and Shell Oil depot
4) Nang Linjee - near Wat Chong Lom
5) Wat Phomaen - Chinese Mahayana temple
6) Sathupradit Intersection - near Sathupradit Pier
7) Bang Klo - the End of Bang Klo - Chaeng Watthana Expressway
8) Rama IX Bridge
9) Chaeng Ron - near Thai Farmers Bank PCL Headquarters
10) Prachauthit - the intersection between Prachauthi and Suksawat Road
11) Karn Keha Suksawat - NHA Public Housing in Suksawat area
12) Rama II - Rama II Highway
Chalong Rat Line - 13 Km
1) Ram Indra - Ram Indra Km 5.5
2) Nuan Jan - intersection between Nuan Jan Road and Pradit Manootham
Road
3) Nawamin - intersection between Pradit Manootham Road and Kaset-Nawamin
Road
4) Suea Yai - Suea Yai area, used to belong to Suea Yai (Don Yai)
5) Chaokhun Singha - Chao Khun Singha canal -> the area around here
used to belong to Chao Phraya Bodindecha (Sing Singhasenee) - the
Siamese Chancellor and Supreme Commander during King Rama III reign
6) Song Kathiam - near Song Kathiam Canal
7) Wang Thong Lang - intersection between Lad Phrao and Pradit Manootham
Road
8) Bodin Decha - Bodin Decha High School
9) Sri Wara - Sri Wara Intersection
10) Rama IX Temple - Rama IX Temple, Rama IX Pond and Japanese School
Pier
11) Pradit Mannotham - the End of Ekkamai - Ram Indra Road
12) Ekkamai Nuea - Northern Ekkamai near Klong Tan Railway Station and
Wat Phasi Pier
Sri Rat Line - 16.5 km
1) Chaeng Watthana - near Muangthong Thanee
2) Samakkhee - Samakkhee Road
3) Wat Bua Kwan
4) Ngam Wong Wan - Ngam Wong Wan Road
5) Ministry of Public Health
6) Pracha Nukoon - the place where the expressway intersects with Ratchadaphisek
Inner Ring Road and Prachachuen Road
7) Km.11 Railway Community - connects with SRT Red Line at Km 11. Station
8) Mochit 2 - New Mochit Bus Terminal
9) Bang Sue - connects with MRTA Blue Line at Bangsue Station
10) Sam Sen - near Samsen Witthayalai High School
11) Ministry of Finance
12) Rong Krong Nam - Samsen Water Purifier Factory
13) Victory Monument - connects with MRTA Orange Line and Skytrain at
Victory Monument
Commentary from Wisarut:
I attended the OCMLT seminar about mass transportation in Bangkok
metropolitan and surrounding areas at the UN Convention Center near Rachdamnoen
Boxing Stadium on October 4, 2000. I got some good stuff in the report
I will share with you. First of all, I obtained several colorful maps
of the revised masterplan drafts. Even though it's a draft but it'll give
you some good insights about the plan which next governments should follow:
1) The previous 1994 masterplan had some flaws in that it
should have had circumferential patterns instead of just radial patterns.
The radial patterns will make the urban areas grow in all directions in
a random manner--a nightmare for the urban planners and the citizens.
Another flaw is about the concentration in downtown area
while neglecting the suburb people due to the termination of Hopewell
project which was supposed to be a backbone of the mass transit line.
2) The revival of Hopewell project is a critical process
to create the mass transit backbone so it gets priority - second only
to the MRTA Blue Line. However, the revised Hopewell project carry only
commuter trains due to economic constrains. Even though the initial Hopewell
revival plan states that the Rangsit-Hua Lamphong line will have to be
done in 2006, it has a plan to extend to Nong Ngoo Hao Airport by the
year 2011.
The thorniest issue for the revival plan is about the construction
from Bangsue to Hua Lamphong and from Yommarat to Makkasan since both
sections are in the 25 sq km restricted area that forces all mass transit
lines to go underground. However, the financial analyzers said that the
cost of putting both sections underground may be too high for both pubic
and private sectors to deal with--let alone to put all sections
underground. Furthermore, the engineers said it will be really hard if
not impossible to implement both sections underground. In such circumstance,
the line may have to go elevated--like it or not. However, the environmentalists
said that the 25 sq. km restriction must be in place and never be modified
at all costs. The engineer said if it is necessary to construct an underground
tunnel, the tunnel must be semi-underground which will cut Mahanak Canal
into 2 sections. Digging deeper would cause construction costs to skyrocket
to levels not worthy to invest in. Therefore, elevated structure are the
only option left.
IMHO, I think if the underground tunnel has a
prohibitive construction cost, I would ask them to invest in the flyover
and tunnel construction as well as traffic restrictions to ensure that
the ground level tracks will never cross over the roads in both areas
(Padiphat Road, Phyathai Road, Phetburi Road or so) in the same way that
the current SRT railway does now.
3) The Purple line was initially a light rail project which
will become a supplementary heavy rail if Hopewell does not work out.
The revised plan states that the purple line will never be mentioned again
until the year 2021 (next 21 years). It may take until the year of 2030
to implement this line.
4) MRTA blue line will have to be readjusted to become a
circle subway-skytrain line by adding an elevated extension from Bang
Sue to Tha Phra via Pracharat Sai 2 and Charansanitwongse Road (inner
Ring Road). This will increase the efficiency to pick up the passengers
in Thonburi side of Bangkok. In Phase 2, Bang Yai extension and Southern
Circumference extension will be included.
5) The revised master plan decides to scrap the Nong Ngoo
Hao extension of BTS Skytrain since BTSC declines to pursue it. Therefore,
the Skytrain will expand in the following manner:
5.1) Eastern Extension from Onnut to Pak Nam via Sukhumvit
Road
5.2) Northern extension from Lum Lookka via Phaholyothin Road and Lum
Lookka Road, with the shortcut through Km.26 Village [Phaholyothin Km
26])
5.3) Southern extension from Taksin Bridge to Talad Ploo (near Ratchadaphisek
Road) and Bang Waek (Southern Bangkok Transportation Center) to connect
with MRTA Blue Line via Krung Thonburi and Taksin-Phetkasem road
After 2021, Skytrain will have to go underground from National
Stadium to Pin Klao area via Rama I Road.
6) Three transportation centers will spring up - Northern
Center at Mochit, Southern Center at Talad Ploo-Bang Waek and Eastern
Center at Makkasan
7) The 11 feeder lines will be scrapped except the 3 feeder
lines along the expressways which will become tram bus lines without rails.
BMTA bus will readjust the routes to ensure that they will cover the lines
which are supposed to be light rail feeders (except the lines along canals
which may cause flooding during the rainy season and pollution).
8) Financial considerations - The elevated structure constructed
by the government and the service private sector is the best deal. The
license plate tax, property tax, and car license to pass through 123 sq.
km. restricted area (area along Ratchadaphisek) will be introduced to
finance the projects via Mass Transit Funds.
The plan phase will be as follows:
Phase 1 (2001 - 2010): 110 km - with budget of 180 billion baht
1) Bangsue - New Bangkok International Airport (SRT)
2) Hua Lamphong - Bangsue (SRT)
3) Bangsue - Rangsit (SRT)
4) Hua Lamphong - Bang Waek (MRTA)
5) Bangsue - Tha Phra (Northwestern Circumferential Line - MRTA)
6) Taksin Bridge - Bangkok Southern Transportation Center (BTSC)
7) Onnut - Samut Prakarn (BTSC)
Phase 2 (2011 - 2020): 160 km - with budget of 280 billion
baht
1) Hua Lamphong - Bangkok Southern Transportation Center (SRT)
2) Bangsue - Talingchan (SRT)
3) Bangkok Southern Transportation Center - Mahachai (SRT)
4) Bangsue - Phra Nang Klao Bridge - Bang Yai (Western Outer Ring
Road - MRTA)
5) Tha Phra - Bon Kai (Southern Circumferential Line - MRTA)
6) Bang Waek - Bang Khae (Western Outer Ring Road - MRTA)
7) Mochit - Saphan Mai - Lum Lookka (BTSC)
8) Minburi-Huay Kwang [Thai Cultural Center] (MRTA Orange Line)
9) Lad Phrao - Bangna (new Line - going along Lad Phrao Road, Sri Nakharin
Road and Bangna-Chonburi Highway and connect with BTSC at Bangna - should
belong to MRTA since it starts from Lad Phrao Station)
Phase 3 (Beyond 2021)
1) Taligchan - Nakhon Pathom (SRT)
2) National Stadium - Pin Klao (BTSC)
3) Huay Kwang - Samrong Tai (MRTA Orange Line)
Those 3 phases are for the case of high investment. However,
the following readjustments can be as follows:
Plan 1: Alternative Consolidated System in 2021
1) MRTA Orange Line extends from Samrong Tai along Southern Outer Ring
Road and turns left to go along Sri Nakharin Road to Bang Kapi to become
another circumference line.
2) MRTA Northern Blue Line extends from Phra Nang Klao Bridge to Bang
Bua Thong via Rattanathibet and Kanchanaphisek Outer Ring Road.
3) MRTA Southern Blue Line extends from Bang Waek to Bang Kae via Phetkasem
Road.
4) BTSC Green line extends from Saphan Mai to Lum Looka via Phaholyothin
and Lum Lookka Road.
5) SRT red Line will extend from Machachai to Mae Klong
6) SRT red Line will extend from Yommarat to Talingchan
7) Yellow Line will run from Lad Phrao to Bang Kapi
Plan 2: Further alternative if the economic condition still
at a low level in 2021
1) MRTA Northern Blue Line ends up at Phra Nang Klao bridge
2) MRTA Southern Blue Line ends up at Bang Wa
3) MRTA Orange Line runs from Minburi to Thai Cultural Center
4) BTSC Sukhumvit line will run from Saphan Mai to Samut Prakarn
5) BTSC Silom line will run from National Stadium to Pin Klao
6) SRT red Line will extend from Machachai to Mae Klong
7) SRT red Line will extend from Yommarat to Talingchan
8) Yellow Line will be suspended
At the same time, OCMLT asks ETA to come up with electric
tram buses (the same kind as the ones used in SF, or so) running along
the expressways as a replacement to the light rail projects ETA has proposed
since it is much cheaper to construct, operate, and maintain.
IMHO, I agree with OCMLT but those feeder must make
the following transits to major lines:
1) Chaloem Mahanakhon line - feeding the MRTA Blue line at
Bon Kai, MRTA Orange line at Rat Boorana
2) Chalong Rat line - feeding the MRTA Orange line at Sri Wara, SRT Red
line at Klong Tan
3) Sri Rat - feeding SRT Red Line at km11 community, MRTA Blue line at
Bangsue and Skytrain at Victory Monument
Furthermore, we need to construction flyovers for the
tram buses or U-turn for the cars to ensure smooth traffic flow.
There are some debates whether SRT Northern corridor
or the Lumlookka extension is the better line for the northern corridor.
SRT line has some disadvantages that it goes through less dense area but
Green line will not cover some critical areas.
The upcoming OCMLT seminar in this December will come
up with the station names and location of stations to optimize the operating
profits for all of those lines as well as the plan to get the cabinet
approval. However, it is much better deal if OCMLT can ask all the political
parties to honor the obligation so they plan can be implemented and executed
without delays.
Samak's Idea Can Fit into the OCMLT Plan
New Master Plan Connecting Mass Transit Lines Head to Head
Thairath Daily, August 21, 2000
Mr. Khamrob-luck Suratsavadee, deputy
of the Traffic Committee said that according to the second draft of the
revised master plan, Bangkok mass transit will consist of 4 major lines
- Blue (MRTA), Green (BTSC), Red (SRT), and Orange (MRTA) - with Blue
line extension which can become a loop line connecting mass transit lines
in Bangkok and Thonburi. However, the new master plan will emphasize the
Thonburi side of BMA due to the heavy traffic in that area. Furthermore,
there will be a new line to make the mass transit networks become more
complete--a Yellow line from Bangsue, Lad Phrao, Sri Nakharin, Bangna.
Mr. Khamrob-luck said the consultant company
proposed that BMTA should run buses along the mass transit network to
make people feel familiar with the routes. If the Traffic Committee accepts
the second draft, the company will submit the final draft of the study
report containing details about stations and other related information
on those lines in four months' time. After the Traffic Committee approves
the final draft, they'll forward it to the Cabinet to approve the master
plan. The consultant company expects that if the cabinet approves the
master plan and constructs all of the mass transit routes, those lines
will carry 7-8 million passengers a day (50% of the BMA traffic volume
which is about 16 million trips a day).
OCMLT called 3 BMA Governor Candidates
to Discuss the New Master Plan -
Rail Transport
Thairath, May 17, 2000
Pol. Maj. Yongyut Sarasombut, secretariat of Traffic Management
Committee has invited the three BMA Governor candidates (Col. Winai Somphongse,
Mr. Tawat Satjakul, and Ms. Sudarat Keyuraphan [who will send a representative
due to her busy schedule]) to join a brainstorming session to revise the
mass transit system due to the continuing economic downturn. The light
rail option may be too costly to implement, so a bus way may be a substitute.
The bus way will run on lanes 30 cm higher than normal traffic lanes.
Furthermore, OCMLT has discussed with SRT the Mae Klong Line Development
and Suburb Commuter (the revived Hopewell project) to be implemented on
the abandoned Hopewell structure.
GOVERNOR ELECTION
Sudarat promises electric buses
Project to cost 25% of elevated train
Bangkok Post, May 16, 2000
[Note from Wisarut: I'm not
so sure if her plan will be accepted by OCMLT and NESDB since some routes
are in the same routes proposed for other major Mass Transit systems OCMLT
has implemented (e.g. Hopewell Northern and Eastern section, Rama III
light rail).]
Sudarat Keyuraphan
has pledged to provide Bangkok commuters with electric
buses at "affordable" construction costs and fares if she is elected governor
in July.
The project, under which nine
bus routes will use existing roads, epitomizes what Mrs Sudarat has declared
as her principles: using existing resources and working to the best of
her ability to solve problems in the current situation wherein the country
is low on money.
This would not be a mega-project,
Mrs Sudarat said yesterday.
The nine routes would bring
commuters from northern, southern, eastern and western suburbs into inner
city areas where they could make use of the mass transit systems, she
said.
To ensure access to the buses
for people living in alleys or housing estates located off the main roads,
public vans would be arranged, she said.
The nine routes include
1) Don Muang to Yomaraj (along Local Road from Donmuang to Yomaraj);
2) Ram Indra to Ekkamai (Along Ram Indra-Atnarong Expressway);
3) Bang Kapi-Lat Phrao-Mor Chit (Along Lad Phrao Road);
4) Pattanakan-Sri Nakharin-Pratunam (Local Road from Makkasan Station
to Hua Mark and then going to Jusco Sri Nakharin);
5) Pattanakan-Sri Nakharin (from Jusco Sri Nakharin to Pattanakan Intersection
via Pattanakan Road);
6) Sri Nakharin-Bang Na-Trat (from Jusco Sri Nakharin to Bangna Trat Highway
via Seacon Square);
7) along Phetchakasem road (from Wongwian Yai to Bangkhae);
8) Phetchakasem-Pin Klao bridge (along Charansanitwongse and Pinklao Road),
and
9) along Rama 3 road (rom Chong Nonsee to Thanon Tok).
Total construction cost would
be around two billion baht, or 25-30 million baht per kilometer, she said,
adding that on some roads where construction could begin immediately the
electric buses could be in service in two years.
Mrs Sudarat said the electric
bus system had a number of advantages.
No land expropriation would
be required and construction would not take long because the system would
be built on existing roads. The entire cost would be about 25% of the
elevated train. Fares would not be higher than those of air-conditioned
buses operated by the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority and traveling time
would be twice as fast as ordinary buses.
It has not yet been decided,
however, whether the city administration or the private sector would manage
the electric buses, she said. The new transport system would also accommodate
another project designed to devolve the prosperity of Bangkok's central
business districts to the suburbs.
Mrs Sudarat said she plans
to develop 11 outer Bangkok areas as sub-centers where jobs will be created
for local communities based on their own potential so people would not
have to commute to their places of work in the inner city.
MOTC Unveils the Bangkok Metropolitan
Transportation Hub
Will Invest 20 Billion Baht to Construct Hua Lamphong 2
Manager Daily, May 1, 2000
Ministry of Transportation is going to reduce
the work load for Hua Lamphong--turning about 2000 rai around Bangsue
Junction, Phaholyothin Warehouse and Chatuchak to connect MRTA, BTS, Morchit
2, and the High Speed Rail together with a budget of 22,168 million baht
from private sector who will rent 600,000 sq.m. area for administration.
This project will be in 3 phases and finish within 10 years.
The meeting on April 10 resulted in a master
plan to construct the Bangkok Metropolitan Transportation Hub in the area
around Bangsue Junction, not far from Chatuchak Park. After that, Hua
Lamphong will become a memorial station. This project will follow the
plan to privatize SRT into 3 companies--the rail & signal construction
and maintenance section which will belong to the government, and two other
private companies to manage the SRT railway systems and services and manage
SRT properties.
If everything goes according to plan, SRT will
get 30 billion baht back with profits of 7,832 million baht. Chatuchak
Weekend market and Central Ladphrao land belongs to SRT which the private
firms pay rent for at the rate of about 10,000-100,000 baht/sq.m.
There will be four construction zones:
1) Transit Concourse - the Main building to connect
transportation centers such as the Bus Terminal, SRT Central Terminal,
Park and Ride, High Speed Rail Terminal, Phaholyothin City Air Terminal,
Monorail Station, and Community Railway of BTS (if BTS is going to take
over Hopewell using Chinese Government money). The building will emphasize
energy conservation with the natural air conditioning. Government will
construct all the mass transit transfer stations on 366,000 sq.m. with
an investment budget of 3926 million baht.
2) Bus Terminal - the rest area for arrivals
and departures from Bangkok with buses that come to the station every
10-15 minutes, underground parking lots, and a shopping center. The upper
part will become a tower with hotel and offices. The central section will
be the main bus concourse with natural air conditioning and a green zone.
After the first zone is complete, the private sector will develop this
section. The government will pay 7,794 million baht to construct the passenger
terminal, office buildings, and hotels in a 841,000 sq.m. area.
3) Park and Ride - a parking lot to connect the
mass transit systems and Morchit 2 Bus Terminal as well as the Transit
Concourse and Bus Terminal. The government will invest 6,838 million in
the area of 1,080,000 sq.m. to create the recreational and commercial
area and allow private concessions to invest and manage.
4) SRT Central Terminal - New Bangsue Railway
Station with the connection to all transportation systems and other buildings.
The building will be an open area with the areas for arrivals and departures
(in the same way as an airport). The government will invest 3,610 million
baht to develop this 331,000 sq.m. zone.
All 4 zones will have an area of 2,618,000 sq.m.
and will take 10 years to finish. Now it is in the study and project design
phase and will need cabinet approval first. The construction will start
in 2001 and be in three phases:
2001 - 2003: Main Transit Concourse Construction
by upgrading Bangsue Junction for the MRTA Blue line, with basic infrastructure
and new railway line for new Bangkok railway station
2004 - 2007: The development of Bus Terminal,
part of Main Transit Concourse, part of Park and Ride connecting the 2nd
stage expressway
2008 - 2010: Construction of the New Central
Railway Station, part of the Park and Ride connecting the 2nd stage expressway
and Park and Ride. The Roof of Park and Ride will become a theme park.
If the area is at maximum utilization, the daily
passengers will total 500,000--with 970,000 arrivals a day. The passenger
ratio between mass transit: private car: Taxi will be 55:35:10.
Samak Reveals His Policies Concerning
Bangkok Transport
excerpted from Daily News April 26, 2000
Mr. Samak Suthoravet, an Bangkok political
veteran, spoke about his plans to improve the quality of life for Bangkokians
during his lecture at a seminar hosted by Economic Department, University
of Thai Chamber of Commerce on April 25.
Mr. Samak mentioned the plan to deal with
the development of Bangkok mass transit systems as follows:
1) Extend the Southern Section of MRTA Blue Line from Hualamphong to Om
Noy district of Samut Sakhon (Mahachai) via Phetkasem Road - not just
Bangkhae as MRTA originally planned
2) Extend the Northern Section of MRTA Blue Line from Ban Sue to Bang
Yai Intersection (Kanchanaphesek Outer Ring Road) via Rattanathebet Road,
not just Sanambinnam (the foot of Phranangklao Bridge in Eastern Bank)
as MRTA planned
3) Construct the Maintenance Center in a suburb area and convert Huay
Kwang Maintenance Center (MRTA) to a park. However, he admits that it
is too late to make a change since MRTA has already constructed a maintenance
facility in that area
4) Extend the BTS Southern Extension to Samut Prakarn (Paknam) via Sukhumvit
Road - not just at Crocodile Curve (Khong Jorakhe), Samrong Tai as BTSC
planned - with Park and Ride facilities of course! (Note: Actually, there
is a park and ride facility at Onnut Station managed by Asiapark - 10
baht an hour and 30 baht a day during the promotion.)
Furthermore, Mr. Samak made a proposal that BMA should take over the BTSC
so BMA can lower the Skytrain fare from maximum 40 baht (US$1) to a 20
baht flat rate (US$ 0.50), and thus boost passengers up to the target
of 400,000 a day instead of just 130,000 passengers a day as it is at
present
5) Impose an automobile control zone in the inner city in same way Singapore
does
New Transport Master Plan Underway
March 9, 2000
OCMLT told both AEI (the company that wants to construct
the high speed train from Pak Tho to Donmuang) and MRTA (they want to
revitalize the Hopewell project - BTSC's subsidiary) to wait until the
revised master plan for mass transit projects is finished in eight months.
During that time, OCMLT asks all the companies involved in ongoing and
proposed mass transit projects to cooperate with one another so they can
share the rails and depots as well as other facilities to reduce construction
costs. The economic downturn and the collapse of Hopewell project has
caused OCMLT to come up with a revised master plan to replace the one
approved by the cabinet on September 27, 1994. We can assume this new
plan will be ready to present to the public in early 2001.
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