Published on October 18, 2005

FLYOVER OPENS

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) will open the Lat Phrao flyover’s outbound side from 5am today, facilitating the flow of traffic from the Vibhavadi-Rangsit section outside the Jitaphotchana restaurant towards the front of PTT, Deputy Bangkok Governor Samart Ratchapolsitte said yesterday.

He said the second and third flyovers remained under construction but would be completed on schedule – November 4 and November 18, respectively.

NEW BTS FARE FIXER

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has approved the plan to establish the Mass Transit Authority (MTA), whose main task will be to control the rate of Skytrain fares, Transport Minister Pongsak Ruktapongpisal said yesterday.

Pongsak said during his hour-long discussion with Thaksin, the prime minister had stressed the newly established MTA’s fares should be as low as possible in order to encourage more and more commuters to use the Skytrain.

Changes in fares are expected to help alleviate traffic congestion while also conserving

much-needed energy, Pongsak said.

He said it would take a month or two to establish the agency, following the Cabinet’s approval.

SMART BUS STOPS STOP

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) may be forced to find a new bidder for the project to install and operate Smart Bus Stops in the capital.

Deputy Bangkok Governor Samart Ratchapolsitte recently disclosed that Sentisoft Company who won the bidding for the project and entered into an agreement with the BMA, had not yet installed a single Smart Bus Stop, despite the fact that the company was obliged to install 200 of them before the end of the year.

“We have to expedite the project and the company will have to conclude whether it will be able to complete the work on time. Otherwise we will find a new bidder,” Samart said.

According to the BMA’s plans, the Smart Bus Stops will give waiting passengers real-time information on the location of buses and their estimated times of arrival.

The Smart Bus Stops like the Skytrain and the Bangkok underground will also contain space for advertising.

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