BMA to close Saphan Taksin station to ease bottleneck
Thanatpong Kongsai
The Nation June 1, 2012 1:00 am

Plans to spend Bt670m on walkway to Surasak Station Kanittha Thepchorn,

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is planning to close down the Saphan Taksin Skytrain station in order to ease the bottleneck over its stretch across the Chao Phraya River. "The BTSC has agreed to cooperate," Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra said yesterday.

He unveiled the plan at a time when the BMA decision to award a Bt190billion contract to BTSC, the current operator of the Skytrain system, via Krungthep Thanakom (KT) is under intense scrutiny. KT is the legal investment arm of the city administration.

BTSC has a 30year concession for the original network of the Skytrain system, which has a combined length of 23.5 kilometres and 23 stations, including Saphan Taksin. Only after its concession expires in 2029, will all properties related to this original system belong to BMA.

"BTSC has the right to not cooperate, but it is willing to help. This is a reason why we have been working closely with BTSC all along," Sukhumbhand said.



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