Court dismisses suits against BMA for not installing elevators at 23 BTS stations

[webfact]

Court dismisses suits against BMA for not installing elevators at 23 BTS stations

By The Nation

 

Photo from: www.ananda.co.th

 

The Central Administrative Court on Monday dismissed two compensation lawsuits against the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), which had failed to install elevators for the physically challenged at 23 BTS stations by the given deadline. 

 

The Supreme Administrative Court had given the BMA until January 21, 2016 to provide facilities for passengers with physical disabilities at 23 Skytrain stations. 

 

After the BMA missed the deadline, hundreds of physically challenged people filed two complaints with the Central Administrative Court for compensation over its failure to comply. 

 

Complainants stated that without proper facilities at all BTS stations, they were unable to travel about and live a normal life, and it was for this reason they were demanding compensation. 

 

The Central Administrative Court, however, has now dismissed their complaints on grounds that the BMA has made efforts to comply with the court order. 

 

According to the court, the BMA has allocated a budget for elevator installation and already installed elevators at some stations. However, it met with many obstacles during the installation process at other stations. 

 

The BMA has reported its progress and the obstacles it has encountered to the court on a regular basis. 

 

The agency, the court noted, still plans to complete the installations.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30365194

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2019-03-05

[rkidlad]

Well, they’ve installed lifts at the new and yet to be opened station near my place. I mean, you can’t access the lift on one side if you’re in a wheelchair because there’s no room, but don’t let it be said that there’s no lift! 

[alant]

does not give me confidence in the Thai legal system

[The Old Bull]

This sums up the problem with Thailand if you are rich you make your own rules. Ignore the courts with impunity. In the civilized world they would set a deadline with stiff fines of say ฿ 100,000 pay day

till all the elevators are installed.

[bluesofa]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

However, it met with many obstacles during the installation process at other stations. 

For serious subject about access for wheelchair users (particularly as highlighted by rkidlad above), is someone making a pun?

[Jan Dietz]

1 hour ago, bluesofa said:

For serious subject about access for wheelchair users (particularly as highlighted by rkidlad above), is someone making a pun?

No we're way too oversensitive for that, we'd never...

[hotchilli]

Highlights Thailand's caring culture... SOD THE INCAPACITATED!!!

[Srikcir]

Is there a Thai law that says, "If you tried to be legally compliant, that's well enough?"

 

 

[Redline]

Face it, they don’t care about disabled people here-they can’t navigate the sidewalks, there are few ramps, people park in handicap spaces-and there are probably at least 100 more every week because of inaction of enforcement on the roads

[Jaggg88]

They should have been included in the original design. I was shocked when I first used the Sky Train to discover how many steps have to be negotiated.

[madmen]

The lifts dont go to street level but to the first floor. Completely useless for wheelchairs but at least the elderly only have one flight of stairs to tackle

[lamyai3]

On 3/6/2019 at 9:12 PM, madmen said:

The lifts dont go to street level but to the first floor. Completely useless for wheelchairs but at least the elderly only have one flight of stairs to tackle

Some of the stations have street level lifts installed, on nut does. It'd be impossible to have a lift that went directly from street level to platform as this would bypass the ticket barriers, the second lift to the platform will be inside the paid ticket area.