A representative of the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTP) – who asked not to be named in the press – told a meeting chaired by Phuket Governor Nisit Jansomwong on Thursday (January 8) that the plans for the LRS can be adjusted to fit the needs of the local people.
He also said that initially, 20-22 trains will run the full north-south route every day. "These will run from Tha-Noon in Phang Nga (the northernmost station) to Chalong Circle (the southernmost).
"Others will run inside the town to relieve traffic congestion. According to our study, trains will run every five minutes around Phuket Town.”
Just how the project will be funded is not yeat clear, though it may be modeled on the way the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration organised the Bangkok Mass Transit System (better known as the Skytrain) by identifying institutional investors who founded the Bangkok Transit System Corporation.
If that is the case, the system, once it is operational, might be privately owned but subject to oversight and pricing control by the Phuket Provincial Administration Organisation (OrBorJor).
Projections do not envisage the system making huge profits, the OTP representative said.
“We expect 70,000 passengers to use the LRS every day. With tickets selling at B18 for one stop or B160 from terminus to terminus, this will mean that the project will not be very profitable.
“But it will bring economic benefits to Phuket such as fewer people using personal vehicles, shorter travel times, fewer road accidents, and less pollution.”
Governor Nisit urged those involved to ensure that the project takes into consideration local people's needs, and also connectivity to Phuket's alternative transportation options.
He also encouraged the OTP to spread knowledge about the project widely to the local people.
“The LRS is a great public transport option for Phuket. The island is a world-class tourist destination, and we need a world-class transport system to accommodate the tourists as well as locals,” he said.
“It is essential that we make the local people understand about the need for this system, especially those living near the train route.
All kamnan (tambon chiefs) and poo yai baan (village chiefs) should be given full details about the project, including both positive and negative effects it may have on their communities, so that the people in their villages can understand exactly what the plans are.”
Vice-Governor Somkiet Sangkhawsuthirak said he believed that taxi drivers and local bus (song taew) operators will understand the need for the system, and will not oppose it.
“They will understand that the system will reduce traffic which will be good for them. Trains arriving at each station will be bringing customers to them. They will be able to make money by taking these customers to places inaccessible via the train,” he said.