Public feedback meetings will be held at the Thalang District Office on Feb 6 and again at Wichit Municipality office on Feb 7.
“Feel free to attend and share your opinions,” Gov Chockchai said.
Gov Chockchai remains adamant that Phuket’s light-rail carriages – which he called “trams” – will actually start rolling in 2021.
“Construction will start next year and finish in 2020. The tram service will be officially launched in 2021,” Gov Chockchai said.
Gov Chockchai noted that there had been some more changes to the 60-kilometre route and other aspects of the project, which in one year alone has seen its espoused budget balloon from B23.5 billion in November 2015 (see story here) to B30bn reported only last month (see story here).
Regardless, Gov Chockchai repeated, “Construction will be completed within the next three years.
“The Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTP) is in the process of seeking potential bidders for the project, which will be run under a public-private partnership,” Gov Chockchai explained.
However, that would indicate the government is seeking bidders for a construction project that has yet to be defined.
A map of the exact route of the light-rail has yet to be made public, and despite Gov Chockchai’s visit to China last month, the type and design of rail cars remains a mystery.
Hopefully shedding some light on the project, Gov Chockchai told The Phuket News this week, “The light-rail line will be built along the streets. It will pass Phuket International Airport and continue along Thepkrasattri Rd.”
Other than that, Gov Chockchai’s description of the project plans made no departure from previous reports over the past two years.
“The light-rail tram service will have 23 stations, starting at Tha Noon in Phang Nga and ending at Chalong Circle in Muang District,” he said.
“Once complete, this project will help support Phuket’s economy as it will make travel more convenient for commuters and tourists while easing traffic congestion,” Gov Chockchai said.