Published on January 20, 2005

With subway services suspended because of Monday’s collision between two trains, traffic on Bangkok’s roads is starting to worsen.

On the second day of suspended MRT services, commuters have returned to their cars, creating traffic jams, particularly between 6am and 1pm.

Lat Phrao, Ratchadaphisek, Asoke, Rama IX, Sukhumvit and Rama IV Roads appear to be the worst hit. Roads leading to the Sam Yan area and Hua Lampong train station were also jam-packed yesterday.

Commuters stood patiently at bus stops for as long as an hour yesterday, because buses were too crowded to board.

Traffic police were working overtime in a bid to ease motorists’ woes, Traffic Police Division commander Maj-General Panu Kerdlarbphol said.

Users of the subway said they were now facing the morning rush hour, crowded buses and traffic congestion.

Pawinee Wiriyasiri, 34, who travels from her house in Huay Kwang to an office near the junction of Asoke and Sukhumvit Road, said the subway had made her life easier because it only took her 10 minutes to get to work instead of an hour-and-a-half by bus.

“The suspended service disheartens me and many of my co-workers because we’ve faced traffic jams for two days now and sometimes I have to hire a motorcycle taxi for Bt50 to get to work,” she said.

Pawinee said she wished the problem could be solved and the subway re-opened. She said she was not afraid to use the service despite Monday’s accident. She said it was more convenient and safer than buses.

Naparat Sinsom, 32, a Don Maung resident who works at a company in Lumpini Tower on Rama IV Road, said she had to leave her home an hour earlier to take the Skytrain then a bus to get to work on time.

“It’s tougher but I have to tolerate it. I’ve already brought a BTS card because I’m not sure when the subway will re-open,” said Naparat, adding that she wanted the subway operational again as soon as possible.

She said she was not afraid of travelling on the subway: “If you are destined to die, you die anyway.”

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