The Prayut Chan-o-cha government on Tuesday gave the green light to the extension of the Purple Line, which links Tao Poon with the Thon Buri side of the city.
The extension, also known as the South Purple Line, will connect with the Blue Line at Tao Poon-Wang Burapha station, the Orange Line at Ratchadamnoen Road near Democracy Monument Station, and the Light Green Line (National Stadium-Bang Wa) at Wong Wian Yai station.
It is unfortunate that there is no platform interchange with the Light Green Line at Wong Wian Yai. Instead, the Mass Rapid Transit Authority (MRTA) plans to build a "Sky Walk", stretching about 800 metres, for commuters who want to change stations in this prime area.
The original Purple Line became notorious for the so-called missing link, a 1.2-kilometre gap at Bang Sue, when it was opened last year. In order to tackle the problem, the prime minister had to resort to invoking the special power of Section 44, plus an additional budget of over 1 billion baht for an extra station. The completed link is due to open on Aug 11.
However, the MRTA ruled out an interchange point for the extended Purple Line because it said there was no prior plan put in place by the BTS, the operator of the Light Green Line, which came into operation in 1999, to link the system.
Undoubtedly, there will be some inconvenience for commuters from what critics have called another missing link. But building a platform interchange at Wong Wian Yai would have a huge impact in terms of construction costs and land expropriation since the area is now heavily populated. Traffic jams during construction would be another major problem for an area that is one of the most congested in the city. Under such circumstances, the proposed Sky Walk seems to be the most practical option.
It is fortunate that by the time the extended section has been completed, the rail system network should be much more comprehensive. Commuters in Thon Buri will have more choices. With the Red and Blue lines in operation, they may change at other interchange points that are more convenient.
One underlying problem for the current Light Green Line that has been ignored for a long time is the lack of an efficient feeder system on the extended Thon Buri side, which was opened in 2009. Connectivity has been poor as there are very few Bangkok Mass Transit Authority buses that carry commuters to the BTS network, which is used by hundreds of thousands of people daily.
A better feeder system -- not only buses but also boats -- will improve the mass-transit service, making it more enticing for commuters and, in the long run, helping to ease traffic when motorists agree to leave their private cars behind to use a system that enables them to travel faster and gives them a better quality of life.
What is needed is a single ticketing system to make things more convenient for rail commuters. An integrated ticket system has been studied for nearly a decade, without any concrete results.
If and when Bangkok has a comprehensive mass-transit system, the state may also put in place drastic measures, like no-car zones, to reduce traffic and help turn the capital into a low-carbon city.
Before that, the state must think of a way to make the mass-transit system more affordable for people with low incomes. The current price structure has barred some from using the service. Price intervention and other measures that enable everyone to use the system must be considered seriously to make it a genuine mass-transit service.