Executives of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) met yesterday to discuss how best to offset the effects of spiralling oil prices.

Deputy Governor Panit Wikitset has been given the job of handling the Environmental Impact Assessment of the extensions.

The extensions will be from On Nut station to Sukhumvit Soi 107, from Mor Chit to the Kaset intersection and from Taksin Bridge to Bang Wa.

Panit admitted that pouring money into the Skytrain extensions might delay other infrastructure projects, but the BMA reconsidered the Skytrain extensions because they were both possible and necessary for many people in the face of rapidly increasing oil prices.

Panit said the On Nut extension would cost about Bt9 billion, the Taksin extension about Bt4 billion and the Mor Chit extension about Bt11 billion, amounting to Bt24 billion in total.

While the first two extensions could begin now, the authority will spend about two weeks considering the best option for extending the Mor Chit line, which will either have to cross the five-way Lat Phrao intersection or the tollway, said Panit.

Apirak also said that as a short-term solution to traffic problems and the oil crisis, he had asked the Traffic and Transport Department and city police to discuss how best to tackle traffic congestion at the opening of the new school term next month.