Minister denies wrong motives

Transport Minister Santi Prompat has insisted that changes at the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTP) are not politically motivated nor influenced by personal conflicts.

He said that the changes were aimed at bringing progress to the nine-route mass-transit project, following the lack of progress during the past three months. One of the goals is for the ministry to reimburse the construction budget of Bt275 billion within this year.

Yesterday, the Cabinet approved the demotion of Maitree Srinarawat, director-general of OTP. As Maitree will be the inspector-general of the Transport Ministry, his position at the OTP will be taken by inspector-general Soithip Trisuddhi. The resolution took effect immediately.

Maitree could not be reached for comment.

Santi added that the change would not affect the project, given that the new director-general is a capable person and would be able to move the mass-transit project forward faster.

Santi said that Soithip would be able to achieve the policy as expected by the government as she has been working in the traffic policy and planning arena.

"The OTP is not driven by one person alone but with the support of capable deputy directors-general and staff," the minister said.

Maitree is the third senior official of the Transport Ministry to be demoted outside the regular reshuffle season in the stint of Prime Minister Samak Sundaravek.

Earlier the minister moved Rapin Jarudol, director-general of the Rural Roads Department, to become the ministry's inspector-general, and also moved director-general of the Land Transport Department Silpachai Jarukasemratana from the post to become the ministry's inspector-general.

However, a ministry source said that the Cabinet approval of Maitree's demotion was politically motivated as the government is eager to see the mass-transit project materialise as soon as possible.

The source added that there was speculation that the government would promote Youdhtana Tupcharoen, deputy governor of the State Railway of Thailand, to the vacant post of the state agency's governor as part of the plan to speedily realise progress of the mass-transit project.