Thai commuters get big present on king's birthday
Copyright 1999, Reuters
December 5, 1999
Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej's auspicious 72nd birthday today brought Bangkok residents a present they had waited decades for -- the inauguration of an overhead railway to beat the city's excruciating traffic jams.
The Thai capital's Skytrain, a 23.5 km (14.6 mile) two-line system linking key parts of the city, is the capital's first mass transit system. It began operating at dawn and drew thousands of for a first taste of a novel commuting experience.
It promises hundreds of thousands of people an alternative to traffic snarls so bad that many installed mattresses in vehicles to let children sleep on the way to school and made a mint for marketeers hawking portable car toilets.
The system will operate from 6 a.m. to midnight every day. It is part of a masterplan that eventually will provide 208 km (130 miles) of elevated and underground railway reaching most parts of the capital of 10 million people.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration awarded a 30-year concession to Bangkok Mass Transit System Plc (BTSC) to design, build and operate the 54.76 billion baht ($1.41 billion) system.
It represents a triumph over political wrangling and bureacratic inertia that stymied previous traffic-beating schemes since the early 1970s.
Initially, Skytrain was to have begun operating on January 1, 2000, but this was speeded to could coincide with the end of revered King Bhumibol's sixth 12-year Buddhist cycle.
"We find that December 5, when Thai people are celebrating the 72nd birthday of the king, is the most auspicious time for us," said Anat Arbhabhirama, an adviser to the BTSC board of directors. "We want the Skytrain to be a present for commuters on this auspicious day."
Critics see it as an eyesore
The system is not without its critics, with environmentalists saying its huge concrete pillars and railbed snaking above Bangkok are an eyesore that a city not known for its architectural charm could well do without.
And many poorer citizens say the fares will be beyond them.
"I travelled on the Skytrain during the free ride promotion. It was great, but I can't afford 40 baht for one trip because I only make 6,000 baht a month," said Anusorn
However, middle-class office workers are enthusiastic.
"It's an excellent means of transportation," said female officer worker Jintana Lertcharoen. "I will definitely switch from bus to the Skytrain."
"The fare is not that different from the air-conditioned bus, but its faster and more convenient. It only takes 15 minutes compared with an hour on a crowded bus."
The sky train expects to earn up to 19 million baht ($490,000) daily from 600,000 rides each day in the first year of operation.
Nevertheless, traffic continues
But initially, at least, it may not help that much to resolve Bangkok's traffic problems.
"Our line is only 23.5 km at the moment. Only when the masterplan is finished will enough people to leave their cars at home and cut the traffic significantly," Anat said.
He estimated only seven percent of more than two million motorists would leave their cars at home and switch to Skytrain, and it would largely be an alternative for bus travellers.
"For people of low income, we realise that it would be difficult as it's a bit more expensive than the bus. The cheapest bus fare is 3.5 baht and we start from ten baht and go up to 40. But for middle-income people, our system will provide a choice."
Financing for the project and disputes over ticket pricing have dogged Skytrain and threatened its startup schedule.
The major shareholder, construction firm Tanayong Plc, was hit by the property market crash that accompanied Thailand's 1997 economic meltdown and remains embroiled in a battle with foreign lenders to maintain a majority stake in the project.