Sukhumbhand unveils work progress

Sukhumbhand unveils work progress

Re-elected Bangkok governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra on Tuesday discussed progress in 10 tasks deemed urgent for the city.

He spoke with the media after meeting with his executive team members of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) for the first time since he was officially endorsed last week as the winner of the March 3 Bangkok governor election.

The urgent tasks include

- installation of 27,000 security cameras
- implementation of a community volunteer programme to fight crime and selling of illicit drugs
- fare reduction on two BTS Skytrain extension routes to 10 baht
- cut interest rates charged by city-run pawnshops
- job skills enhancement including free training in English, Chinese and Malayu Bahasa languages in state-run occupational training schools
- pay increases for volunteers at city-run day care centres
- increase public counter services on citizen registration in eight shopping complexes
- establishment of 5,000 free WiFi spots.
- improve garbage collection system
- provide 100 wheelchair-friendly taxi vans equipped with electric taxi meters to help the elderly and handicapped who need transportation to hospital, or make other trips in Greater Bangkok areas. (This service is to be available upon request via phone call, and fares will be charged by the meter)

MR Sukhumbhand said the installation of security cameras is scheduled to be completed by December. He plans to seek funds for the 2014 fiscal year to install another 10,000 security cameras and 20,000 electric lights in small alleys deemed "risk areas" across the city. A comprehensive survey on risk areas will be launched soon.

On the community volunteer programme, he said the programme will begin this year in 100 communities, and expand to all communities in two years.

The fare on Sukhumvit BTS extension line from Bang Jak station to Baring will be lowered to 10 baht on May 17. The new price will take effect on the Silom extension line (Taksin-Talard Plu) within six months. MR Sukhumbhand said he will hold talks Thursday with the Ministry of Transport on cutting fares on Bangkok's Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) buses from 10 baht to five. 

The city-run pawn shops began to charge interest of 25 satang per 5,000 baht worth of customers’ goods as of Tuesday, with the scale rising to 50 satang for values from 5001 to 70,000 baht. The lower rate will be valid until May 31 to help parents raise funds for the new school term.

Malayu Bahasa language courses are now available for 500 interested individuals in 10 occupational training schools under the BMA. The first of the City Hall’s eight new counter services is due to open at Paradise Park shopping centre in Prawet district in June. 

MR Sukhumbhand said he had proposed that City Hall’s Training and Development Institute increase monthly payments to day care centre volunteers, and promote them to be permanent employees. A decision on the matter is pending, he added.

The BMA currently had 10 wheelchair-friendly taxi vans, and was seeking a budget to acquire others, at a cost of about 1.4 million baht each, he said. The van service, unveiled last December, is operated by Krungthep Thanakom Co Ltd, a subsidiary of the BMA.

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