THE OPENING of Phuket's new bus terminal is being delayed because of a dispute about who runs the venue.
Local authorities are reticent to create a gap in the median strip in the main road, Thepkasattri Road, sufficiently large enough for buses heading north to turn. The gap would be right outside the mayor of Rassada's house.
Department of Transport officials on Phuket are keen for the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation to control the venue, but a new regulation requiring local involvement has obliged them to look instead at the Rassada tessaban council.
No provision has been made as yet for shuttle transport to carry passengers from the bus terminal, which is in an outlying suburb of Phuket City, to the downtown Phuket City centre. The old bus station in Phang Nga Road is due to become the hub for local buses around the island.
Last year, Rassada council appeared keen to undertake management of the new bus terminal and council staff were taken to Korat to see how a similar terminal operated there. The Korat terminal handles more than 1000 buses a day.
However, when it was discovered that the buses on Phuket would have to turn in a larger-than-anticipated circle, outside the mayor's house, Rassada became less keen on taking control.
Rassada says it does not have the budget in any case to create a u-turn space in Thepkasattri Road.
The Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation is keen to control the project but the Rassada tessaban has first option to run the terminal. However, Rassada yet says it does not have the budget to complete the u-turn part of the project.
An alternative u-turn proposal would see buses travel 500 metres south then do a u-turn in front of the home of Anchalee Vanich Tephabutra, a former Phuket Provincial Adminitrative Organisation chief officer who is now the Deputy Secretary of the Prime Minister's Department.
A third option, for buses to swing down a narrow soi across the road, was rejected because of the disturbance in the soi and the dangers posed by the large buses making a right-hand turn in the main road.
Local authorities are reticent to create a gap in the median strip in the main road, Thepkasattri Road, sufficiently large enough for buses heading north to turn. The gap would be right outside the mayor of Rassada's house.
Department of Transport officials on Phuket are keen for the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation to control the venue, but a new regulation requiring local involvement has obliged them to look instead at the Rassada tessaban council.
No provision has been made as yet for shuttle transport to carry passengers from the bus terminal, which is in an outlying suburb of Phuket City, to the downtown Phuket City centre. The old bus station in Phang Nga Road is due to become the hub for local buses around the island.
Last year, Rassada council appeared keen to undertake management of the new bus terminal and council staff were taken to Korat to see how a similar terminal operated there. The Korat terminal handles more than 1000 buses a day.
However, when it was discovered that the buses on Phuket would have to turn in a larger-than-anticipated circle, outside the mayor's house, Rassada became less keen on taking control.
Rassada says it does not have the budget in any case to create a u-turn space in Thepkasattri Road.
The Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation is keen to control the project but the Rassada tessaban has first option to run the terminal. However, Rassada yet says it does not have the budget to complete the u-turn part of the project.
An alternative u-turn proposal would see buses travel 500 metres south then do a u-turn in front of the home of Anchalee Vanich Tephabutra, a former Phuket Provincial Adminitrative Organisation chief officer who is now the Deputy Secretary of the Prime Minister's Department.
A third option, for buses to swing down a narrow soi across the road, was rejected because of the disturbance in the soi and the dangers posed by the large buses making a right-hand turn in the main road.
Amusing Thailand !!
Posted by LivinLOS on March 29, 2010 17:08