Bangkok commuters left out of the loop

[webfact]

Bangkok commuters left out of the loop
By Sasithorn Ongdee 
The Nation

 

BANGKOK: -- Why has Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha twice invoked his absolute power under Article 44 of the interim charter in an attempt to bridge the one-kilometre between the MRT Purple Line and the MRT Blue Line?

 

Because, whether you call it a “missing link” or “missing tooth”, the gap has left commuters inconvenienced and the national economy and taxpayers out of pocket.

 

Prayut’s move to fill it is unsurprising considering that the elevated MRT Purple Line has recorded an average 20,000 riders per day – far short of the 70,000 targeted – since it opened in August. Cutting ticket fares for the 16-station line by 30 per cent to Bt14-Bt29 per trip hasn’t helped much. Most people still prefer to take a bus or a car to travel between the Bang Yai area in Nonthaburi and Bangkok.

 

Full story: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/national/30303147

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2016-12-30

 

 

[Estrada]

The whole problem is that the blue line was in an earlier Master Plan, originally supposed to continue via Tao Pun and up to Bang Yai, there was no Purple Line. Therefore the Blue line has suffered from lack of passengers compared with the successful BTS which has extended in all directions. The MRTA in their infinite wisdom chose to change the Blue Line to a loop and a Southern extension and change the Blue Line North to the Purple Line Phase I. They also stopped the Blue Line short of the Tao Pun connection, hence the missing link. They also are arguing over how will run the Blue Line extension which is ludicrous but T.I.T.

[tx22cb]

Not surprising the system is under-performing - who on earth would want to have their rail journey broken up with up to a 15-minute wait for a bus (plus going up/down a couple of levels)?  The people who did not foresee this problem should be "transferred to inactive posts".

 

[Goingmad]

2 hours ago, Estrada said:

The whole problem is that the blue line was in an earlier Master Plan, originally supposed to continue via Tao Pun and up to Bang Yai, there was no Purple Line. Therefore the Blue line has suffered from lack of passengers compared with the successful BTS which has extended in all directions. The MRTA in their infinite wisdom chose to change the Blue Line to a loop and a Southern extension and change the Blue Line North to the Purple Line Phase I. They also stopped the Blue Line short of the Tao Pun connection, hence the missing link. They also are arguing over how will run the Blue Line extension which is ludicrous but T.I.T.

Your expect account makes me laugh. It's about money, or lack of it. Problems occurred when 450 million baht went missing. Period.

[robblok]

I live real close to the purple line, have not used it because of the missing station. Just seems foolish to use it if you have to go by buss again.

[impulse]

My forecast:  In 10 years everyone will be moaning about how crowded the line is.  That's after the development that pretty much invariably follows the opening of a new transit system.  

 

They'll fix the gap.  Once everyone divides up the loot that's up for grabs.

[FredNL]

4 hours ago, tx22cb said:

Not surprising the system is under-performing - who on earth would want to have their rail journey broken up with up to a 15-minute wait for a bus (plus going up/down a couple of levels)?  The people who did not foresee this problem should be "transferred to inactive posts".

 

Thai brains....

[Redline]

5 hours ago, tx22cb said:

Not surprising the system is under-performing - who on earth would want to have their rail journey broken up with up to a 15-minute wait for a bus (plus going up/down a couple of levels)?  The people who did not foresee this problem should be "transferred to inactive posts".

 

And, a couple of slaps to boot

[Estrada]

On ‎12‎/‎30‎/‎2016 at 10:37 AM, Goingmad said:

Your expect account makes me laugh. It's about money, or lack of it. Problems occurred when 450 million baht went missing. Period.

You totally miss the point, the Blue line was originally proposed to run northwards as shown on my map. The MRTA changed the Northwards extension to the Purple Line without ensuring that the Blue line finished at Tao Pun, allowing connection. I first served on the MRTA planning Committee in 1994 and a number of my colleagues have been supervising the Construction of the Blue Line, BTS, Red Line and Purple Line. The missing link has been in the process of completion even prior to Article 44 being issued as the Main Contractor decided to complete it at his own risk due to his perceived problem if a missing connection He was also ordered to open the Purple Line when his aim was for August this year when the Blue Line opened to Tao Pun. However the Government ordered it open ahead of schedule even though ancillary work was incomplete. The Blue Line is still under construction and the Purple Line Phase II will start this coming year (2017)

[planr]

2 hours ago, Estrada said:

You totally miss the point, the Blue line was originally proposed to run northwards as shown on my map. The MRTA changed the Northwards extension to the Purple Line without ensuring that the Blue line finished at Tao Pun, allowing connection. I first served on the MRTA planning Committee in 1994 and a number of my colleagues have been supervising the Construction of the Blue Line, BTS, Red Line and Purple Line. The missing link has been in the process of completion even prior to Article 44 being issued as the Main Contractor decided to complete it at his own risk due to his perceived problem if a missing connection He was also ordered to open the Purple Line when his aim was for August this year when the Blue Line opened to Tao Pun. However the Government ordered it open ahead of schedule even though ancillary work was incomplete. The Blue Line is still under construction and the Purple Line Phase II will start this coming year (2017)

 

Thanks for sharing a bit of real insight. Though in fairness, much has changed since the early 1990s... the depot was in fact not built under Lumpini Park after all ;-) 

[fruitman]

On 30-12-2016 at 9:08 AM, tx22cb said:

Not surprising the system is under-performing - who on earth would want to have their rail journey broken up with up to a 15-minute wait for a bus (plus going up/down a couple of levels)?  The people who did not foresee this problem should be "transferred to inactive posts".

 

Plus buying new tickets all the time, plus walking long distances, plus climbing huge stairs...And also it ain't cheap even with discount.

 

It's a failed project.

[bkkcanuck8]

On 12/30/2016 at 1:14 PM, FredNL said:

Thai brains....

 

It is simply the same problem as we have in many North American cities with transit project approval.... the people who hold the money for the projects and doing the approving.... are the ones that have their own car and sometimes driver and never take mass transit.