City firm on opening new skytrain route

Council of State ruling could delay project

SUPOJ WANCHAROEN

The city administration is determined to go ahead with its plan to open an extended 2.2km skytrain route to Thon Buri even though the project may be ruled by the Council of State as a joint public-private investment. In principle, that ruling would delay the opening of the extended route for at least another year as there is a long process to go through.

However, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) would ask the cabinet to approve the proposed opening, which is initially planned for early next year, even though the Council of State has yet to pass its ruling, said deputy city governor Panich Vikitsreth yesterday.

Construction of the extended route, which runs from Taksin bridge to the Taksin intersection is now almost 100% complete.

Mr Panich said it is widely speculated the Council of State would rule that the project falls under the state-private joint investment law.

However, the deputy city governor said the joint investment law poses no worry for the city administration because key steps required by the law have already been taken, including an environmental impact assessment (EIA) and a feasibility study.

''If the cabinet rejects the proposal, it has the duty to explain to the public why the route cannot be opened although its civil engineering work is complete,'' he said.

The operation has been forwarded for examination because the BMA will find a private firm to run the service, Mr Panich said.

One option is to have Krungthep Thanakhom Co, an urban development enterprise of the BMA, operate the service by renting train carriages from the Bangkok Mass Transit System (BTS), which operates the skytrain services.

No contract has been signed yet.

Mr Panich said he has also instructed the BMA's traffic and transport department to proceed in compliance with the remaining requirements of the joint investment law without waiting for the council to pass its ruling.

This should also cover the other two extended routes now under construction _ a 5.25km route from Onnut to Sukhumvit Soi 107, and a 5.3km route from the Taksin intersection to Phetkasem road.

A source at the BMA said that despite the EIA and the feasibility study being completed, the project requires a study by agencies concerned including the National Economic and Social Development Board, the Budget Bureau and the Transport Ministry prior to cabinet approval.

The source said this process is likely to take more than a year, raising fears that the new routes will not be opened before the term of Bangkok Governor Apirak Kosayodhin ends.

Meanwhile, the BMA will today close two traffic lanes, one in-bound and one out-bound, on two sections of Sukhumvit road to facilitate construction of the extended skytrain route from Onnut to Sukhumvit Soi 107.

One section is from Soi 62 to Soi 64 and the other is from Soi 107 to Soi 70. The two sections will be closed for four months, starting at 10pm today.

Bangkok Post

Last Updated : Saturday April 21, 2007