Phuket Opinion: Phuket’s B10bn question – trams or buses?

According to the announcement, the MRTA team was supposed to be in Phuket until this Tuesday (June 21) so they could gain public feedback about the project. However, where they have been on the island in the past four days, if they arrived at all, remains a mystery.

“MRTA will visit the area to publicize and survey the opinions of the people in Phuket between 15 – 21 June 2022 and will use the results of this survey to be used as a guideline for the Phuket Mass Transit System Project Phase 1 to be appropriate and consistent with the opinions of the people in Phuket,” the announcement, posted on Wednesday, read.

The announcement came as the MRTA launched an online survey open to the general public, including people not living on the island, asking whether they agreed with the proposed fares and whether Phase 1 of the project should include an extension to Tha Chatchai so the project could support the bid for Phuket to host the World Specialised Expo 2028. (See story here.)

Yet the survey misses one important question, raised by Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob himself: Do Phuket people actually want a light rail mass transport system at all?

Mr Saksayam last November called for study into whether a network of buses instead of an expensive tram system would be more feasible for appropriately improving the island’s public transport system. In fact, other than the pink Pho Thong buses operated by the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation (PPAO, or OrBorJor), the arrival of such a bus or tram network would mark the island’s first “public transport” operation that is not privately owned.

Mr Saksayam back then noted that rolling out a bus network instead of trams would save at least B10 billion. The current budget for just Phase 1 of the light rail project stands in excess of B35bn. Of note, at this stage officials are just ignoring promoting any extra cost of rolling out Phase 2 of the project.

However, since last November, any talk of the idea of a bus network instead of trams has fallen silent, much the visit by MRTA officials to gain public feedback about the project that is supposed to be ongoing right now.

There have been no more notices posted by provincial officials or local municipalities ‒ including Phuket City Municipality and even Mai Khao Tambon Administration Organisation (OrBorTor), both areas to be greatly affected by the project ‒ to explain where people might go to give their opinion, other than online.

Meanwhile, the question of trams versus buses is not even asked by the online survey (see here). The MRTA is steaming ahead with the project, focussing on fine-tuning the details instead of asking the most fundamental question of all. Right now, it looks like that as the budget has been confirmed and the money is coming, we are going to get a light rail system whether we want one or not.