New bids for tarnished BMA road projects
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has decided to proceed with 16 road construction projects that are subject to corruption investigations, saying the city's traffic congestion and expansion of road networks to accommodate additional traffic after the opening of Suvarnabhumi airport demand they go ahead.
The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) has been inquiring into the projects, worth a total of about Bt20 billion. This follows complaints from unsuccessful bidders who claimed specifications were rigged to unfairly benefit certain contractors who were eventually awarded the contracts. Deputy Bangkok Governor Bannasophit Mekwichai did not say whether the DSI had been consulted about the projects getting the go-ahead again. But Bannasophit said bids for all 16 projects would be held again via an e-auction system, an electronic process that can limit cheating and corruption. New project specifications will be worked out by a new panel with the participation of contractors and representatives from the Engineering Institute of Thailand under His Majesty the King's patronage. The first three projects, kicking off soon, will be a development project at Pattanakarn Intersection on Sukhumvit Soi 103 worth Bt800 million, a road extension connecting Pattanakarn Road to Suan Luang Rama IX Park worth Bt300 million; and development work on Rama II-Bang Khunthien Road worth Bt180 million. Bidding for the remaining projects will begin in June or July. Funds earmarked for these projects would not be diverted to the extension of three Skytrain routes, as was planned, Bannasophit said. The Skytrain extensions would instead be funded from the BMA's future budgets, she said.
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