Rapid bus service runs out of steam

The Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service, a pet project of Bangkok Governor Apirak Kosayodhin, is likely to flop due to several setbacks, especially the lack of money, demand and governmental support, a city official said yesterday.

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration is planning to shelve the Bt2.7-billion project and blame the government for its lack of support and deliberate delay in granting an operating licence, the BMA source said. [ed. typical-- blaming the central gov when the BMA itself is at least 6 months late on the initial planning stage, see below]

The BMA's Traffic and Transport Department has been assigned to plan the exit strategy. [ed. ironic]

The source was referring to the initial findings of a meeting of officials at the Traffic and Transport Department and divisions under the BMA's Public Works Department on Wednesday. Apirak's secretary Sukij Kong-thorranin called the meeting.

Officials agreed it would be difficult to persuade motorists to switch to the BRT, the source said. The BRT was one of Apirak's most high-profile campaign pledges. Its goal was to cut traffic congestion.

Under the plan, special buses would run on the lane beside the median strip of certain streets. Unlike city buses, the BRT buses would have doors on the right to allow passengers to board and get off at stops on the median strips. [dropping passengers in the middle of the road? does that sound like a good idea?]

Traffic Police, however, complained that the loss of one lane to the BRT would only worsen traffic congestion while the BMA has yet to decide whether to buy or lease the first batch of BRT buses. [ed. good idea, block 1 out of 3 lanes on Bangkok's busiest roads]

The first two routes - Nawamin-Kasetsart roads and Chong Nonsee-Ratchaphruek roads - were to open last October. [typical -- late as hell and planning stage not even completed]

The Highways Department, which oversees the Nawamin-Kasetsart route, was reluctant to support the BRT project because the median strip on this route supports columns for a section of a raised expressway that is being built.

Officials were afraid that BRT commuters could be injured or killed by falling debris during the expressway's construction. [ed. very likely, at least they thought of that, uinlike when the skytrain was being built and people died from falling debris on sukhumwit]

The Interior Ministry, which supervises the BMA, recently issued a directive asking it to put the BRT project on hold while it consults other government agencies on the BMA request to obtain a permanent operating license for the BRT service.

The BMA source also said Sukij was satisfied with progress on the extension of the Skytrain's Silom route from Sathorn Road on the Phra Nakhon side to Taksin Road on the Thon Buri side. [ed. not open and no projected date for completion]

The 2.2-kilometre elevated railway viaduct was built solely with the BMA funding.

Jeerawan Prasomsap

The Nation