BMA to survey public opinions on BRT service

BANGKOK, Feb 18 (TNA) -- The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is set to carry out a public survey, within the area where the Bus Rapid Transit system or BRT is being provided, on the termination of the service, while it is expecting the final result to be reached by the end of the month. BMA spokesperson Ms Treedao Apaiwong said Bangkok Governor Pol Gen Aswin Kwanmuang has tasked the Kasembundit University (KBU) to create 3,000 copies of the survey and to carry it out among nine target groups, including BRT passengers, drivers, policemen, individual commuters, and people residing in the area. She said the survey would be focused on people from all occupations, in which it would be given out to the public on February 21 after which the result of the survey is expected to gathers by the end of the month. The spokesman noted that after the BMA has announced that it would stop the operation of the BRT service, it has found that a group of people has been affected by the change and do not agree with the termination, whereas Deputy Premier/Defense Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwon put a brake on the BMA’s plan to terminate the BRT service. Gen Prawit confirmed the BRT was running at a loss and that private cars and motorcycles were using the BRT lane, which interfered with the service. However, a recent survey found the BRT service was popular with the people who use it and many would not mind if the fare was increased by five baht a trip, Gen Prawit said. As this stage, the BRT service has not yet been shut down, he said. The upcoming survey would considered as an indicator whether the BMA should or should not stop providing the service altogether before the contract would expire on April 30, 2017. The data gathered from the survey would also be presented to the Office of the Auditor General of Thailand (OAG) and Office of the Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), both of which have voiced that the project is not worth it. (TNA)