PHUKET: The contractor for a Phuket City underpass that has missed completion deadlines will be fined two million baht a day if the holiday island slips deeper into a traffic snarl abyss.
Three years of agony lie ahead for commuting motorists on Phuket, Governor Jamleran Tipayapongtada told honorary consuls at a meeting last week. And if the 23.5 billion tram project is approved, the holdups and diversions will go on and on, slowly.
With one underpass complete, two more in progress and two more yet to begin, Phuket is just beginning to deal with the price of its popularity after years of neglect. Vehicular traffic has grown rapidly.
Beset by delays, the Samkong Underpass has become the project that motorists most love to hate - and it's still only 56 percent complete, officials have told Phuketwan.
The renewed contract - the original deadline for completion passed months ago - is now up on December 21.
Alarmingly, Phuketwan has been told that with the two ends of the tunnel still 100 metres apart, construction teams are dealing with a new issue - seeping water from what appears to be a natural source.
''Fines of two million baht a day will apply if the project is still going in February,'' said Highways department project manager, Chalermpol Wongkiattikun.
Although the bypass road t-junction underpass appears to be going well, with diversions coping, concerns are growing about the Chalong Circle dig, where residents along key parts of the route are still protesting.
One hundred power poles around the underpass zone have to be moved before the dig can even begin. The Chalong Circle project is due to commence from December 11.
Latest Transport Department figures for registrations on Phuket show prosperity is leading to more people buying their own vehicles - an inevitable outcome on an island with such inadequate public transport.
In 2010, there were 6528 saloon cars among 29,696 vehicles registered, rising to 8476 among 33,133 in 2011, then jumping alarmingly in 2012 to 14,479 cars among 38,578 registrations.
The total of cars registered in 2013 stayed high, at 14,144 from a total of 36,431.
That growth probably could not be sustained and the number of cars regitered in 2014 slipped to 9062 out of 29,600 vehicles.
Latest figures reveal Phuket has 11,364 buses, minivans and meter taxis. The green-plate taxis number 4490 while there are still only 373 meter cabs, acording to the figures.
While officials see the tram running from Phuket's north to Chalong Circle as the 23.5 billion baht answer to Phuket's traffic woes, anyone who looks at Thepkasattri Road then imagines two tram tracks running down the middle will challenge that idea.
Most overseas passengers arriving at Phuket International Airport still want to head for the west coast destinations of Patong, Kamala, Surin, Kata and Karon as fast as they possibly can.
The tram meanders east then south to Phuket City when the newly-arrived passengers want to go west.
Local residents addicted to motorcycles as the most effective means of door-to-door transport have also bought cars for family outings.
Authorities who support the tram project have yet to explain how tourists and residents will be enticed to abandon efficient, fast taxis and motorcycles for a more expensive and slower system that, in many cases, takes them in the wrong direction.
Meanwhile, underpass contractors on Phuket will continue trying to dig the holiday island out of its traffic snarls.
Three years of agony lie ahead for commuting motorists on Phuket, Governor Jamleran Tipayapongtada told honorary consuls at a meeting last week. And if the 23.5 billion tram project is approved, the holdups and diversions will go on and on, slowly.
With one underpass complete, two more in progress and two more yet to begin, Phuket is just beginning to deal with the price of its popularity after years of neglect. Vehicular traffic has grown rapidly.
Beset by delays, the Samkong Underpass has become the project that motorists most love to hate - and it's still only 56 percent complete, officials have told Phuketwan.
The renewed contract - the original deadline for completion passed months ago - is now up on December 21.
Alarmingly, Phuketwan has been told that with the two ends of the tunnel still 100 metres apart, construction teams are dealing with a new issue - seeping water from what appears to be a natural source.
''Fines of two million baht a day will apply if the project is still going in February,'' said Highways department project manager, Chalermpol Wongkiattikun.
Although the bypass road t-junction underpass appears to be going well, with diversions coping, concerns are growing about the Chalong Circle dig, where residents along key parts of the route are still protesting.
One hundred power poles around the underpass zone have to be moved before the dig can even begin. The Chalong Circle project is due to commence from December 11.
Latest Transport Department figures for registrations on Phuket show prosperity is leading to more people buying their own vehicles - an inevitable outcome on an island with such inadequate public transport.
In 2010, there were 6528 saloon cars among 29,696 vehicles registered, rising to 8476 among 33,133 in 2011, then jumping alarmingly in 2012 to 14,479 cars among 38,578 registrations.
The total of cars registered in 2013 stayed high, at 14,144 from a total of 36,431.
That growth probably could not be sustained and the number of cars regitered in 2014 slipped to 9062 out of 29,600 vehicles.
Latest figures reveal Phuket has 11,364 buses, minivans and meter taxis. The green-plate taxis number 4490 while there are still only 373 meter cabs, acording to the figures.
While officials see the tram running from Phuket's north to Chalong Circle as the 23.5 billion baht answer to Phuket's traffic woes, anyone who looks at Thepkasattri Road then imagines two tram tracks running down the middle will challenge that idea.
Most overseas passengers arriving at Phuket International Airport still want to head for the west coast destinations of Patong, Kamala, Surin, Kata and Karon as fast as they possibly can.
The tram meanders east then south to Phuket City when the newly-arrived passengers want to go west.
Local residents addicted to motorcycles as the most effective means of door-to-door transport have also bought cars for family outings.
Authorities who support the tram project have yet to explain how tourists and residents will be enticed to abandon efficient, fast taxis and motorcycles for a more expensive and slower system that, in many cases, takes them in the wrong direction.
Meanwhile, underpass contractors on Phuket will continue trying to dig the holiday island out of its traffic snarls.
There it starts already, water seeping to by 'natural source'.
That is a very promising outlook for the Chalong underpass contruction.
About that tram line. Is a sky tram a good idea? ( save road space for road traffic)
Posted by Kurt on November 30, 2015 10:44
Editor Comment:
Unless the ''sky tram'' can be built without visible means of suspension, it will require more lane space than two lines built at road level.