Bangkok Metropolitan Council approves 23.4 billion baht for Green Line extension
The Bangkok Metropolitan Council (BMC) gave the green light for a whopping 23.4 billion baht payment to the Bangkok Mass Transit System Plc (BTSC) for crucial electrical and mechanical (E&M) installation work and operation services for the Green Line’s second extension.
This decision comes after a crucial meeting that saw high-ranking officials deliberate the fate of the city’s transportation system.
At the sixth general meeting of the BMC, attended by key figures including Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt, the motion to approve the substantial spending received 43 votes, with one abstention. Napapon Chirakul, the councillor for Bangkok Noi district and chairman of the budget committee, confirmed the fixed additional expenditure of 23.4 billion baht.
The allocated budget is earmarked for the acquisition of assets for the second Green Extension Line and to cover the costs of the E&M installation and the Green Line’s operation services. This move is in response to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) and its business arm, Krungthep Thanakhom (KT), owing the BTSC a hefty 30 billion baht for operation and maintenance services.
The BMA’s recent decision to start charging passengers for the Green Line’s second extension routes is seen as a strategic step towards addressing this mounting debt, reported Bangkok Post.
The panel overseeing the budget urged the BMA to provide clarity to the public regarding the necessity of the budget for the E&M system. Additionally, they stressed the importance of expediting the spending for the E&M to free up resources for other vital projects.
In response, Chadchart assured that the BMA’s Traffic and Transportation Department will engage with KT Corporation (KT) and BTSC to iron out the specifics of the expenditure. Furthermore, the draft ordinance will be published in the Royal Gazette, and the BMA is obligated to keep the Interior Ministry informed of any developments related to the payment.
