The Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA) will file a lawsuit against Bestlin Group later this month if the company does not move 84 NGV-fuelled buses from the authority's maintenance centre, acting MRTA governor Rithika Suparat says.
The buses are parked in the MRT Blue Line's maintenance centre in Huai Khwang. Another maintenance centre for the future MRT Orange Line is being built nearby.
"If the buses are not moved they could cause a problem for the Orange Line centre contractors," Mr Rithika said.
"The project has not been delayed as of yet, but could be if this situation is prolonged any longer."
The 84 NGV buses in question were part of a Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) procurement project which saw Bestlin Group win an auction last September to deliver 489 NGV buses to the authority.
The 3.3-billion-baht contract was scrapped in April after Bestlin failed to deliver all the buses on time.
The BMTA's subsequent blacklisting of Bestlin has since put the ownership status of buses already delivered in limbo.
Last month, the MRTA filed a complaint to the Office of the Attorney-General requesting a court order for the BMTA and Bestlin to remove the buses from the MRTA's maintenance centre.
Mr Rithika said the MRTA is considering whether to withdraw this complaint to the OAG, proceed with one targetting Bestlin only.
"It is now a very urgent matter, considering progress on the Orange Line," he said.
"A court order telling Bestlin to move the buses or give the us the keys to the buses would speed up efforts to ensure construction is not interrupted."