The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) on Monday defended its controversial purchase of 20 mini-fire engines at a cost of 160 million baht, claiming their specifications were fit for Thai traffic laws and their high performance warranted the high price.
In particular, the fact the fire engines are left-hand drive ones is not against Thai traffic laws as alleged by Wilas Chanpithak, a former Democrat MP for Bangkok, said Wasan Meewong, spokesman for Bangkok governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra.
He was responding to information revealed by Mr Wilas, who said the Office of the Auditor-General (OAG) had written to the BMA cautioning that its purchase of the left-hand drive cars could breach the Land Transport Act.
Mr Wasan insisted the use of left-hand drive fire vehicles was not against the law and the proof lay in the fact that all 20 of them have been registered with the Department of Land Transport.
The cars were made using German technology, he said, adding the left-hand drive feature did not affect the way BMA firefighters work when using the vehicles.
"As for the accusation these vehicles were purchased at an overly high price, it depends on the basis for comparison. After all, as long as they serve the public well in the case of a fire, they are worth the money paid," said Mr Wasan.
Bangkok has more than 5,000 streets, and of this number over a hundred sub-soi are only one to two metres wide and they need smaller fire vehicles when a fire breaks out, he said.
He also insisted the fire engines had all passed an assessment to determine their value for money.
A source said the 20 mini-fire engines were purchased for 160 million in 2013, or 8 million baht each.
Another 20 vehicles proposed for purchase a year after that had been suspended by the BMA's council after objections from members of the council who argued the BMA already had many fire engines.
The source also revealed the BMA's political executives had reached an agreement to file a lawsuit against Mr Wilas for damaging City Hall's reputation.
On Sunday, Mr Wilas held a briefing for the media and showed a 2013 example of what he described as a modified all-terrain vehicle (ATV) which the BMA purchased for as much as 8 million baht.
He said he was checking for more information about TJ Advance Engineering Co, which won the bid to supply the 20 mini-fire engines to the BMA, to find out if the company was linked to River Engineering Co, the other contender in the same bid.
Only two firms took part, he said.
According to Mr Wilas, TJ Advance Engineering Co had only on June 22, 2011 included in its business operations the supply of fire equipment and bidding for the purchase and sale of the fire vehicles.
TJ Advance Engineering, in Samut Prakan's Bang Phli district, was founded on Nov 19, 2010 with registered capital of one million baht, later increased to 5 million baht.
River Engineering Co was founded in 1990 with one million baht in registered capital.
Mr Wilas said the company had only added the sale of fire-fighting equipment to its registered business operations objectives on Nov 14, 2013.
He added the bidding for the BMA's procurement of the first 20 mini-fire engines took place the same year.
Mr Wilas also said there are still plans for the purchase of 15 more fire engines in fiscal year 2017.
The new procurement project was proposed by deputy Bangkok governor Jumpol Sampoathong but signed by a different deputy governor, Pol Gen Assawin Kwanmuang, said Mr Wilas, urging the governor and other officials to revise the project.