THURSDAY, March 28, 2024
nationthailand

Govt to ease Bangkok traffic with eight new carparks

Govt to ease Bangkok traffic with eight new carparks

The Transport and Interior ministries and Bangkok Metropolitan Administration will build eight more parking lots as a long-term measure to ease traffic congestion in the capital.

The plan comes after Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha sought ways to resolve a situation seen as worsening.
Transport Ministry deputy permanent secretary Pirapol Thavornsupacharoen said two underground parking lots would be built on Ratchadamnoen Avenue, one in front of First Army Area headquarters and the other in front of the Education Ministry.
The BMA, in charge of construction, was to allocate Bt3.049 billion for the two projects, Pirapol said.
His ministry proposed six parking lots along existing electric-train routes – at the Bang Khunnon, Lak Song, Queen Sirikit Convention Centre, Bang Sue, Phasi Charoen and Charoen Nakhon BTS stations.
Pirapol said two lots recently opened at Talingchan station, at a cost of Bt579 million and with capacity for 110 vehicles, and at Bang Bamru station, costing Bt725 million and able to hold 310 vehicles.
He said the Lak Song and Bang Sue lots would open next year. The Lak Song carpark would cost Bt531 million and accommodate 1,024 vehicles and Ban Sue station would cost Bt1.41 billion and hold 1,700 vehicles.
The Phasi Charoen lot will open in 2020 and Charoen Nakhon in 2021.
Pirapol said he his office was consulting the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTP) and Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand as to whether the Bang Khunnon carpark could be a five-storey building. If so, the budget would be increased.
He said the OTP has also been assigned to meeting shopping mall management about more carpark facilities along train routes.
Meetings are planned at Icon Siam near Charoen Nakhon station and Seacon Square Bang Kae near Bang Kae station, as well as with management of the Sirikit Convention Centre.
Proposals for private-sector involvement would be sent to the Office of the Commission for the Management of Land Traffic for approval within the next month, Pirapol said.

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