In Bangkok, you can’t get there from here

[webfact]

In Bangkok, you can’t get there from here

By Sirinya Wattanasukchai 
Special to The Nation 

 

 

Compared to the thrilling rapidity of the dramatic cave rescue in Chiang Rai, the travelling life of the average Bangkok commuter has continued to be remarkably slow. Motorists are used to that, of course, but riders of the BTS Skytrain have abruptly been deprived of their accustomed fast lane.

 

Since its opening, the Skytrain had consistently been the most time-efficient mode of public transport in the capital. For most of the past three weeks, though, it’s been neither fast nor predictable. Business commuters have instead become used to keeping their fingers crossed every morning when they leave home, wondering if they’ll make it to work on time.

 

With news elsewhere overshadowing events in Bangkok, from the cave rescue to the terrible flooding in Japan to the catastrophe that befell Chinese tourists in Phuket, the Skytrain operator has been able to relax a little lately while headlines were diverted. The BTS issue persists, however, and public scrutiny should not relax. The city was almost paralysed on June 25 when the Skytrain broke down, and two weeks later there is still no indication of a long-term solution to the problem.

 

The recent series of service disruptions were hardly the first glitches in BTS history. Regular riders are all too familiar with trains being delayed without warning, and certainly without a fare refund. But what’s been happening lately represented the worst set of incidents to date. 

 

In terms of alternatives for most commuters, Bangkok has public buses, vans and boats, as well as taxis and motorcycle-taxis if the traffic isn’t in gridlock. But these aren’t efficiently connected, the buses are often crowded and unreliable, the rides you can hail tend to get pricey when demand is high, and the vans are starting to charge more too.

 

Having put its customers through a nightmare, the BTS operator shrugged the blame off onto whoever else was using the same radio frequency on which the Skytrain relies for operations. The signal was being disrupted and the rail system malfunctioned, it said. The commuter’s attention thus turns to the government, which has a responsibility to ensure mobility for the masses. 

 

Bangkok commuters have a very limited choice in ways to get around. Those who can afford cars endure the gridlock. People less well off ride the rails and the charter vans. The poorest must be content with sluggish, wheezing buses. Different costs and levels of convenience mean these modes of transport are not interchangeable. You’ll never see a rich guy on the bus or a homeless person on the subway.

 

The government has never made an earnest attempt to discourage private car use or to extend bus routes into the sprawling residential areas. Compare that to the situation in Berlin, where the German House of Representatives approved a “Mobility Law” on June 28. 

 

An outsider visiting Berlin is apt to be astounded by what’s already in place for commuters – there are underground trains, ring trains and bus feeders plying the entire city. And yet the citizens pressed for more.

 

Der Tagesspiegel, a local newspaper, reported that the new law was designed to improve safety for all road users, including cyclists and pedestrians. With no new cycling paths established in two years, it requires upgrading the paint-delineated lanes as protected territory, clearly separated from the lanes used by motorised vehicles. Cycling routes must be clearly identified for all to see. 

 

The Mobility Law will also expand public transport, giving priority to buses and trains. Some 100,000 bicycle racks will be installed in railway stations and at bus stops and other public facilities. Accident-prone intersections will be reconstructed – 10 of them this year alone. 

 

Surprisingly (for Thais, anyway), Berliners and some news media outlets still aren’t satisfied with the new law, saying it doesn’t go far enough and could take years to be properly implemented. Commentators pointed out that two children had been killed in separate road accidents in the city within 24 hours just two weeks before the law was approved. 

 

They may have some points, but imagine how delighted the citizens of Bangkok would be if their government were to bring about any such changes. The German government has at least tried to improve urban mobility – by bus, train, bicycle and foot. Here, we can only think Berliners ought to be more grateful to have so many choices in transport. They’re at least not being forced into a choice based on their social and economic class.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/opinion/30349978

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-07-13

[Thian]

Bangkok is far too busy, simply too many people on too few land.

 

It's such a relief to be out of BKK into a European city where there are good wide clean pavements, rule of law followed by most and everything safe and high quality.

 

Thailand should do much more to keep BKK livable and organised. Also the skytrain is far too busy, why don't they buy extra carriages?

[NCC1701A]

comparing Thailand to Germany!

 

[yellowboat]

Yellowboat loves the klong and river ferries.  Before the BTS and subway, they were the only reliable transport during daylight hours.  If you lived near these two systems, you could get somewhere close to where you needed to go. 

 

My neighbor and I lived in Huai Khwang ,  she had to journey near Khaosan road everyday for work.  The bus took 2-3 hours.  I told her the klong boat would take just under an hour.  She never knew it was there.  Had no idea where it went. 

 

The mass transit system is not big enough for the city.  Compared to Taipei, Bangkok is behind, though some efforts have been made.

 

The BRT is a nice idea.  Perhaps they need more of them. 

[Kinnock]

A congestion charge for Bangkok could help - then spend the new income on more submarines to run an additional shuttle service under the riverboat taxis?

 

 

[bendejo]

I first came to Bkk in 1975.  I remember the bus ride from the airport: bus had a wooden floor, the conductor with the metal tube to make change, rattling it.  Same buses running on some routes today.

 

 

[JAG]

4 minutes ago, bendejo said:

I first came to Bkk in 1975.  I remember the bus ride from the airport: bus had a wooden floor, the conductor with the metal tube to make change, rattling it.  Same buses running on some routes today.

 

 

Hino built them to last. The metal cylinder and paper tickets don't need batteries. Keep it simple...

[robblok]

1 minute ago, JAG said:

Hino built them to last. The metal cylinder and paper tickets don't need batteries. Keep it simple...

You forgot stupid  KISS (principle)

 

I love technologie but sometimes you need to keep it simple. I don't understand why they want many electronics on buses, better to keep conductors there they are dirt cheap anyway. It only works when technology costs less than people that is not the case here. Maybe they just want to spend more higher budget.. more to...  you know what i mean.

 

Anyway I love the MRT and BTS but they should get longer carriages and problems like the last weeks should be used to fine the operators. The contract is not strict enough.. and the governor of BKK extended it.. I wonder why......  (not really wonder actually) Wish they could prove it and charge him for it.

 

 

[NanLaew]

10 minutes ago, robblok said:

Anyway I love the MRT and BTS but they should get longer carriages and problems like the last weeks should be used to fine the operators.

Maybe the bend radius of the tunnels and flyovers prevents longer carriages but they could ADD more carriages of the same length.

 

Do they have the rolling stock to make longer trains? My understanding is that they built it, they came... and they have built some more but haven't bought any (or many) more carriages. Most of what's running around is the original rolling stock so with R&M requirements demanding a finite down-time for each carriage, there's only so many extra trains can be eked out before there's bugger all spare left.

 

Maybe the operators can pay the fines with the money they've been given to procure more carriages?

[robblok]

2 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

Maybe the bend radius of the tunnels and flyovers prevents longer carriages but they could ADD more carriages of the same length.

 

Do they have the rolling stock to make longer trains? My understanding is that they built it, they came... and they have built some more but haven't bought any (or many) more carriages. Most of what's running around is the original rolling stock so with R&M requirements demanding a finite down-time for each carriage, there's only so many extra trains can be eked out before there's bugger all spare left.

 

Maybe the operators can pay the fines with the money they've been given to procure more carriages?

New rolling stock is being produced for them its also longer, the problem was that they ordered it far too late. These guys have a concession and are raking in money but don't like to reinvest money to keep service up.

 

Why get longer trains if you can use the shorter ones and get people stuck like sardines in them, they get the same amount of money and don't have to buy new stock. Its a money game. They are still increasing prices while they make loads of profit. Sometimes its better to have things handled by the government. At least a government does not have to turn a profit (ok does not always work)

[rickudon]

It is not just commuter transport that is groaning. I arrived a little late in Bangkok on international flight on friday and had a devil of a job getting out of the city. If arriving after 8 pm especially on a Friday your options are very limited - few if any domestic  flights (which will be fully booked), too late for a train (also fully booked), too late for a bus from the Suvarnabhumi transportation centre (which was also fully booked) I had to trek across town to Mochit and even there it took 4 attempts to find a bus (all others fully booked).  I was lucky in the end but it was nearly midnight.

 

These days more and more Thais leave the city at the weekend, and the transport infrastructure is struggling to cope. A slight delay in your flights arrival plays havoc with travel plans.