Thanksin Endorses Budget Reduction

[Jai Dee]

PRIME MINISTER HAS AGREED TO REDUCE BUDGET FOR 1ST PHASE OF ELECTRIC TRAIN SYSTEM FROM 212 TO 200 BILLION BAHT

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has endorsed reducing the budget for construction of the first phase of the electric train system to 120 billion baht.

Transport Minister Phongsak Raktaphongphaisarn (พงษ์ศักดิ์ รักตพงศ์ไพศาล) said after discussing with Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, all 7 lines of the electric train, the premier has decided to trim the budget for the 1st phase that involved 4 routes. The construction budget will be toned down to 120 billion baht, with the aim to reduce spendings on unneccessary parts.

Transport Minister Phongsak explained the toning for each line, beginning with the 24.6 kilometers long 4-tracked deep-red line from Bangsue to Rangsit (บางซื่อ-รังสิต). 41 billion baht was initially required for this line, but the figure will be trimmed down to 22 billion baht. The 21.3 kilometers twin-tracked light-red line running from Phayathai to Talingchan (พญาไท-ตลิ่งชัน), originally requiring 29 billion baht, will now receive 12 billion baht for construction. As for the 23 kilometers Bangsue-Bangyai (บางซื่อ-บางใหญ่) line, the budget will be reduced from 25 billion baht to 12 billion baht. Meanwhile the blue line, which runs from Hua Lamphong to Bangkhae(หัวลำโพง-บางแค), will receive 25 billion baht from the original 50 billion baht.

Minister PHONGSAK explained that the budget reduction will allow route expansions during phase 2. In the northern direction, the electric train will run as far as Chiangrak (เชียงราก) District in Ayutthaya Province. Eastwards, it will extend as far as Chonburi or Rayong Province. As for the southern direction, the electric train from Talingchan will be extended to Nakhon Pathom. These expansions will allow for more convenient travels to the capital's neighboring provinces, especially in the eastern region once the Suvarnabhumi Airport is opened.

Source: thaisnews.com ประจำวันอังคารที่ 18 ตุลาคม 2548

[andyfletch]

This from the Bangkok Post..........same story, different numbers............hmmm..........so who is correct?? Note that the Purple Line north has been reduced from 25 to 31 billion baht !!!!!!

TRANSPORT / MEGA-PROJECTS

PM gives nod to mass transit lines

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra yesterday gave the green light to four mass transit lines and an extension plan with the total budget cut to 199 billion baht from an original 212 billion baht. Transport Minister Pongsak Raktapongpaisal said the prime minister had agreed to the trimmed budgets for the construction of the first phases of four electric train routes with unnecessary spending cut back.

Under the proposal, the budget for the construction of the first phase and other systems for the 25km Red Line railway from Bang Sue to Rangsit in Pathum Thani would be 33 billion baht, reduced from an initial estimate of 41 billion baht. The investment in another 21km Red Line from Phaya Thai to Taling Chan's construction would be 27 billion baht.

The 23km Purple Line from Bang Sue to Bang Yai in Nonthaburi would cost 31 billion baht, down from 25 billion baht, and the Blue Line from Hua Lamphong to Bang Khae and from Bang Sue to Tha Phra 37.8 billion baht.

Other spending included a future plan to extend the Red Line from Rangsit to Ayutthaya and from Taling Chan to Nakhon Pathom, and the Airport Rail Link from Suvarnabhumi airport to Chon Buri, the minister said.

The two extensions would require a budget of about 33.5 billion baht.

Mass transit infrastructure projects, aimed at encouraging motorists to leave their cars at home to use public transport, were a key policy objective in the Thai Rak Thai government's second term.

The Red and Purple Lines were backbone routes for commuter travel to the capital from suburban areas.

Mr Pongsak said the ministry had also worked out an investment plan for the first phase of construction of the four lines. The investment would come from money allocated by the government, the issuance of bonds and income generated from mass transit operations.

Bidding for the four electric train routes was set to begin by the end of 2005, he said. Firms from China, Russia and France would be invited to join the bidding

[otherstuff1957]

The Transport Minister and Taksin are using the mass transit system as a political football. The decisions being made have nothing to do with actual transit needs, instead the system is bing used to punish or reward the voters who voted against or for the TRT.

Ultimately, the TRT's power base is out in the countryside, with the rural poor, so we can expect more and more money to be siphoned out of BKK and invested in rent-a-cow schemes.

[astral]

Where is the money "saved" going?

The Crackdown on the Internet Dept,

of the Close Bars and Massage Parlours dept??

[freeinfo]

yes, promise the world, get elected and take it all back... where we bought the bts is nearly finished... they might delay the purchase of rolling stock but ... anyway we'll wait and see.. and use our car in the meantime

[andyfletch]

Yet more confusion: This from 2bangkok.com, if you want to know more have a look at this site, lots of contradictory info about all the Mass Transit projects.

Political battle over mass transit: Central government freezes budget for Skytrain extensions - Defiant city government approves own fund for the Skytrain -

translated and summarized by Wisarut Bholsithi from Manager Daily and Matichon, October 18, 2005

Minister Pheng has come up with the plan to cut the budget at the expense of BTS extensions to relieve traffic jams along Sathorn Road that have been deliberately neglected until the government can create MTA to take over BTS and MRTA. The cabinet has just approved the plan this evening (October 18)--and the plan will be officially declared as a "PM Office Decree."

The total budget is 129.979 billion baht, down from 212.362 billion baht. The bidding will start in February-March 2006.

There are four lines:

1. Red Line Commuter-> Bangsue - Rangsit (24.6 km), cutting from 70.984 billion baht to 33.025 billion baht

2. Airport Link extension -> Phyathai - Bangsue - Talingchan (20.4 km), cutting from 35.154 billion baht to 27.410 billion baht

3. MRTA Purple Line -> Bangsue - Bang Yai (23 km), cutting from 42.204 billion baht to 31.664 billion baht

4. Blue Ring (Bangsue - Tha pha, Hua Lamphong - Bang Khae - 27.2 km), cutting from 64.020 billion baht to 37.880 billion baht

The elevated section would be u-shaped to cut the budget by 30% while shortening the time by 15-20%.

The government will have to make a 100% investment so as to introduce a 15 baht flat ticket fee.

Phase 2 will come from savings which is going to the following routes with a 69.163 billion baht budget -> 35.638 billion baht for civil work and the rolling stock and signals 33.525 billion baht.

1) Red Line Commuter -> Rangsit - Chaing Rak - Ayutthaya (41.5 km)

2) Red Line Commuter -> Talingchan - Salaya - Nakhon Pathom (42.6 km)

3) Suvanabhum Airport Link -> Suvannabhum - Chachoengsao - Chonburi (Pattaya?) (50km)

The capitalization will come from four sources:

1) Annual budget

2) Bonds

3) Taxes and surcharges

4) Loan - This to be done by the private sector that acts as contractors with deep pockets instead of the government... The government would pay back by barter trading of agriculture products--rice, rubber, palm oil, longan, etc.

This will be done in 3 years instead of 5-6 years and the Red Line would go from Bangsue to Rangsit by the end of 2008.

MOTC has invited Russia, France, and China to invest on this project. [Note: No direct investment from Germany at this time due to an alleged clandestine deal with France. Only indirect investment via China allowed.]

MOTC decided to delay Samrong and Taksin extension by claiming that they would have to wait until they get the MTA Board have successfully forcing BMCL and BTSC to merge into a single operator so as to introduce a 15 baht flat rate instead of modifying the conditions to allow a joint venture--and claiming is was a political football caused by the Democrats.

This harsh and callous response form MOTC has upset BMA, BTSC, and even Bangkokians to such extend that BMA has come up with two solutions.

1) Temporary bus from Surasak to Tha Phra

2) BMA has to invest in the Taksin line (Saphan Taksin - Tha Phra - Bang Wah) via Krungthep Thanakhom and lease the BTS rolling stock to run the service at that section.

Even Thai netters have used flamed the government after they have found that the government refuses to invest in the Taksin-Samrong extension.

One of local the Thonburi people said, "Please, we are desperate for the Taksin extension. We suffer from traffic jams and fuel hikes for too long. We wait for the government to fulfill the promise but they have broken promises (such as both bridges and expressways across the Chao Phraya and new mass transit lines to Thonburi) to please vested interests. Premier Thaksin, you feel no shame to commit such crimes to rob our tax! We'll punish you in the next election."

However, MPs and the BMAC Council from both TRT and the Democrats still keep pointing fingers at one another on who are the culprits for this long delayed project.

BMA has responded by allocating 2.2 billion baht for the Taksin extension.

[ovenman]

Where is the money "saved" going?

The Crackdown on the Internet Dept,

of the Close Bars and Massage Parlours dept??

The money saved is being channeled to the ever-popular Ministry of Inactive Posts.