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2006-11-08 08:26:26-05
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Government set to unveil new mass transit system by 2012
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Bangkok, Nov 8: Thailand's interim government has given the green light to build five new subway and elevated rail lines that will link central Bangkok with surrounding areas, pushing ahead with plans to expand the Thai capital's public transportation system. The 165.4 billion baht project, will be completed within the next 6 years, includes four elevated rail lines that will be added to Bangkok's Skytrain system and one subway line, said Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont. The mass transit blueprint was part of a number of megaprojects initiated under the previous government. Funding will be supplied by the government and through borrowings, said Finance Minister Pridiyathorn Devakula, noting that one possible source was the Japan Bank for International Cooperation, known as JBIC. The approval in principle of the five routes are the Blue, Red, Dark Green, Light Green and Purple lines. The government plans to conduct an environmental impact study over the next two months and hopes to complete the bidding process for the project next year. Transport Minister Theera Haocharoen said the government would find ways to keep fares at affordable levels and prevent an operator's monopoly. The construction of some railway lines should start within the next year while the Finance Ministry will consider the proportion of loans and state funds to pay for the construction, he added. If the public do not oppose the five railway lines, Pridiyathorn said the terms of reference and other bidding documents should be available for interested parties by March. The government also approved a budget for the feasibility studies and designs of the other railway lines, reports the Bangkok Post. Thaksin's government had planned to add 10 mass transit routes, worth 550 billion baht. Pridiyathorn said last month that the new government might not build all 10 lines but would select the routes considered the most important. Bangkok's subway system opened last year and is capable of serving about 200,000 passengers a day. Its single 20-kilometer (12-mile) line spans 18 stations from central Bangkok to outlying areas. The subway complements an elevated light rail system, known as the Skytrain, that was launched in 1999. The mass transit projects are aimed at easing the capital's notoriously congested traffic.
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