Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has ordered projects for underground parking areas in and around Bangkok to get a hurry-up while hoping to draw local and foreign investors to join, a Government House source said.
The source said the prime minister during the cabinet meeting on Jan 23 asked the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) and Interior Ministry to report on progress of a plan for underground parking space, including the possibility the private sector would join. A one-month deadline has been set.
"Deputy Prime Minister somkid Jatusripitak has been assigned to ensure cooperation between the Board of Investment and various agencies to consider such investments. "We hope to increase parking space and ease traffic problems in general, especially in crowded areas such as shopping malls, train stations, government offices and educational institutions," the source said.
The order follows up a discussion at a cabinet meeting in December. The Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning has been developing a master plan for the traffic system in and around Bangkok since April 2 last year. The time frame of the project had been set for 2017-2029. The master plan will be proposed to the Transport Ministry for consideration, the source said.
"The prime minister suggested the private sector might join investing in building a 10-storey building and manage it as well as collecting the rent," he said, adding that more parking areas near mass transit facilities must be sought.
Good management is necessary to ensure customers can park and use mass transport at a lower cost.
Meanwhile, a BMA source said construction would begin soon on various parking projects which should be open within five years. The projects include parking space in the Ratchadomnoen Avenue area which will be able to accommodate 1,400 cars.
According to another source, an underground parking building is being built near Nakara Pirom Park in Rattanakosin Island of Bangkok as a pilot project. This 800 million-1 billion baht project will be able to accommodate about 700 cars and vans.