Bangkok:- Following an outcry by social networkers, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has officially allowed pedestrians to use the Wutthakat skytrain station as a bridge to cross over Klong Dan.

A man has posted a YouTube clip to cry foul that he had to pay the BMA Bt10 each time to access the bridge across the canal at the skytrain station. The BMA owns the extended route of the skytrain and hires the Bangkok Mass Transit System Plc to operate the route.

The man complained that the area has no bridge for residents in the neighborhood to cross the canal so they had to use the station as the bridge but they were forced to pay Bt10 each time for just crossing the canal. He noted that the facility was built with tax payers’ money. Many social networkers joined the man to attack the BMA and BTS.

BMA Deputy Governor Amorn Kijchawengkul told Thairath Online that the BMA has no policy to collect the station access fee from pedestrians at all.

Amorn said the problem stemmed from misunderstanding between BTS officials and the pedestrians. He noted that officials at the station had allowed other pedestrians to use the station on case-by-case basis.

Amorn said he had ordered the Wutthakat station to allow pedestrians to set aside a part of the station for pedestrians to cross the canal so that they can shuttle between the Ratchapruek and Wutthakat roads.

The free access took effect immediately, he said, adding that the free access would be allowed on the temporary basis.

For long-term solution, the BMA will build a pedestrian bridge across the canal and will also build piers for shuttle ferries, Amorn said.

All a misunderstanding, as usual. In other words, the left hand has no idea what the right hand is doing. And what does treating each request to use the bridge on a case-by-case basis mean?

'Amorn said the problem stemmed from misunderstanding between BTS officials and the pedestrians.' I doubt that. The pedestrians understood they should not be charged to cross the canal; the BTS assumed it could get away with doing so, but has been illegitimately making money out of a taxpayer-funded facility. Perhaps its management should be persuaded to contribute the fees collected to a charity selected by the BMA.

power to the people

if it really was built with tax payers money ....

same same with expressways? or were they built 100% private money ?

If they're building a pedestrian bridge across the canal - why you need ferry ports as well?