Sophon ignorant about meeting, ready to propose SRT reforms

He said Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva had not officially informed him about the meeting and that he had no idea about the issues on the agenda.

Sophon, a Bhum Jai Thai Party Cabinet member, is reportedly uneasy with the fact that Deputy Interior Minister Thaworn Senniam, a Democrat, managed to end the two-week suspension of train services, especially since the SRT comes under the Transport Ministry's jurisdiction.

He said his reform plan for the SRT was nearly complete and would be submitted to the Cabinet for approval next Tuesday.

"About Bt46 million will be needed to implement the short, intermediate and long-term measures listed in the plan," he added.

The SRT labour unions earlier announced plans to hold a huge rally at Royal Plaza today, to demand that their six conditions on safety features be implemented and the SRT be privatised.

Sawit Kaewwan, chief of all SRT labour unions, called on Abhisit to revoke an SRT order discharging six railway workers for protesting and demanded that SRT governor Yutthana Thabjaroen be dismissed because his management of the agency had led to huge debts and poor safety features.

The unionists also proposed that the SRT be privatised in such a way so that passengers get all the benefits and the agency is not under complete control of private owners.

The rally will be held at 10am and taken to Government House nearby later, he said. "We will wait for the answers to our calls from the government," he added.