BMA to add 10,000 more bicycles to free service

[Thaivisa News]

Bangkok:- The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration will add 10,000 more bicycles to its Pun Pun (Bicycle Sharing) service for Bangkok commuters to borrow and ride to sneak through congested Bangkok streets.

Amorn Kijchawengkul, deputy BMA governor, said currently the Pun Pun project has 500 bicycles in service at 50 Pun Pun stations in Bangkok. The bicycles have been in service since 2012.

Amorn said the BMA planned to add 10,000 more bicycles to service in appropriate areas so that Bangkok commuters would have a mean to shuttle between mass transport systems amid traffic congestion.

Amorn said the BMA’s Traffic and Transport Department is considering a method for renting the new 10,000 bicycles after the current method of the Pun Pun project led to complaints about untidy advertising signs at the 50 bicycle stations.

Thaweesak Lertpraphan, director of the department, said currently the BMA has given a concession to the Smart Bike Service, a company under the Q Group, to carry out the Pun Pun service.

The Smart Bike Service allows the bicycles to be borrowed free of charge for the first 15 minutes and Bt10 for one hour, Bt20 for three hours, Bt40 for five hours, Bt80 for eight hours.

Since Smart Bike Service had to invest in the bike procurements and maintenance services and management, the BMA allowed it to have revenue via advertisement at the bike stations, Thaweesak said. This led to public complaints that the stations looked untidy.

Thaweesak said the 10,000 new bikes would be rented along the electric train routes and the BMA might seek cooperation from private firms in form of CSR by allowing them to put their company’s logo on the bikes.

[h90]

if that works?

[Upnotover]

If the extent of the untidy advertising is like in the picture I wonder who is really complaining....taxi drivers?

[p_brownstone]

I have never seen anyone riding these clunky oldfashioned bikes!

And to go from 500 to 10,000 is a h#ll of a leap.

Patrick

[Nuddy]

I wonder if they lose many bikes?

[Caspersfriend]

"if you build it, he will come" Not always!

Considering the pollution and the poor driving it's unlikely to be a free ride.

Someone 'up there' has been to Holland [or wherever] and sees this as the 'in' thing to be doing.

In Chiang Mai it is crazy time for new bicycle and walkways where they will rarely/never be used. Ignoring the privacy and security concerns of those who live adjacent to them. Just because the instruction to do so came from 'those in authority' shouldn't mean you ignore the needs of the people you are supposed to be serving. TIT.

[impulse]

500 bike in a few locations around town is like a BTS that stops at 2 or 3 shopping malls. Not enough to achieve critical mass. (perhaps the Express ARL is a better analogy?)

10,000 bikes all over town is more like a BTS ARL that actually goes places, taking commuters to work and back home again. Like the ARL city line does. And it's generally packed.

I salute them for taking the next step...

[ezzra]

And soon you will hear that the bikes cost the tax payers like 877 million baht....

[taony]

When i pass the stations, often times there are no bikes in those turnstile things but there are a few to the side and all chained up. People should complain about that being unsighlty. The advertising, who would notice? The biggest complaint in those cases though should be that there are no bikes to use!

[kaorop]

Oh yeah i can see myself riding one of those, with my knees up around my neck

barely working brakes, poor gearing, no suspension, no where safe to commute

Cant wait.

[tx22cb]

The BMA encouraging riding bicycles without safety helmets?

Riding a rental bike in a park (eg Lumpini) would be understandable, but these are designed to go on the busy streets, battling with cars and motorcycles - I don't think we'll have long to wait before we read about the first report of a serious accident.

[arunsakda]

"if you build it, he will come" Not always!

Considering the pollution and the poor driving it's unlikely to be a free ride.

Someone 'up there' has been to Holland [or wherever] and sees this as the 'in' thing to be doing.

In Chiang Mai it is crazy time for new bicycle and walkways where they will rarely/never be used. Ignoring the privacy and security concerns of those who live adjacent to them. Just because the instruction to do so came from 'those in authority' shouldn't mean you ignore the needs of the people you are supposed to be serving. TIT.

Can I ask you what your native language is because what you have written here ostensibly in English is completely incomprehensible.

What has been proven time and time again internationally is if ALL YOU HAVE TO DO is provide safe bicycle lanes, and secure parking for bikes they will be used at high levels and car traffic decreases. No need for costly bike share programs and all that. Bikes are good!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Edited March 24, 2015 by arunsakda

[Stan42]

Because riding a bike is so safe in Thai traffic.

[bkkgooner]

500 bicycles for about 12 million people no wonder it hasn't been the biggest of successes so far

They need dedicated bike lanes that follow BTS routes and things like that because people are just too scared of dying, I would never cycle a bike in regular Bangkok traffic as it is just so easy to be hit and killed

[DLock]

Do they have lights for nighttime riding?

Serious question.

So, when Somchai get's pancaked by a truck on Sathorn road late ant night...who's to blame?

[Sviss Geez]

Oh yeah i can see myself riding one of those, with my knees up around my neck

barely working brakes, poor gearing, no suspension, no where safe to commute

Cant wait.

You must have had a good opportunity to do a technical check on these bikes to know that they all have bad brakes, poor gearing (what is the optimum gearing for a bicycle?). No suspension, really? What normal bike has suspension?

When your knees are around you neck do your knuckles drag on the ground?