Agency considers compensating Bangkokians hit by BTS malfunction
The Department of Rail Transport said it will discuss remedial measures with the operator of Bangkok’s BTS system for passengers affected by the interruption in services on Friday.
The move comes after a BTS train leaving Ha Yaek Lat Phrao Station (N9) for Mo Chit (N8) was left stranded on the tracks for more than 30 minutes due to a signalling malfunction. The train’s electrical supply was cut off and passengers were stuck in the carriages.
Pichet Kunathamaraks, the department’s director general, said on Saturday that among the measures to be considered are a full refund for affected passengers and issuing a delay certificate for office workers and students. He also said the authorities will look into efficient evacuation measures and frequent evacuation drills.
The Bangkok Mass Transit System, commonly known as BTS, is operated by Bangkok Mass Transit System Plc under a concession granted by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration.
Pichet said his department has also called on all operators of mass transit systems to follow guidelines set by the national committee on the supervision and management of rail transport systems. He reckoned this would reduce the case of interrupted train services.
The guidelines include regular preventive maintenance, emergency drills, proper advice for passengers in case of emergency, and cooperation with other service providers if passenger evacuation between different mass transit systems is required.
Bangkok commuters have experienced problems like BTS trains breaking down or halting due to signalling problems occasionally over the past few years.
