BMTA: Most city buses still in service

The great majority of city buses were still running even though many parts of Bangkok have been flooded, Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) director Opas Phetmanee said on Wednesday.

He said 80 to 90 per cent of buses were still on the roads. Services had been suspended only on a few routes which had been totally flooded.

In most cases, adjustments had been made to the routes with problems, meaning that the passengers might arrive later or earlier than usual at their destinations, he added.

Mr Opas said that even though the BMTA was not operating at full capacity it was still taking in about 10 million baht per day, up from the usual seven million to eight million baht during a school vacation.

This was probably because taxis and motorcycle taxis had increased their fares for travel in flooded areas, deterring passengers.

He said the BMTA is also still providing limited free hot bus services as usual.

Traffic police this morning closed the outbound lanes of Vibhavadi-Rangsit road in front of Samian Naree temple due to the high floodwater level, reports said.

The Kasetsart intersection on Vibhavadi Rangsit road is also inundated and impassable for small vehicles.

Another Kasetsart intersection on Phahon Yothin road is also flooded and impassable for small cars, according to the reports.

The Transport Co said interprovincial buses were avoiding flooded Vibhavadi-Rangsit road and using Samut Sakhon and Chachoengsao as gateways to the North and North East.

From the bus terminal in Chatuchak area, the northern-bound buses use the Si Rat expressway to go to Rama IX road before entering Maha Chai in Muang district and Ban Phaeo district in Samut Sakhon.

They then use a route to Nakhon Pathom’s Kamphaeng Saen district to go to Suphan Buri's Si Prachan district and other provinces in the Central Plains before going further to the North.

For the northeastern route, the buses also travel along the Si Rat expressway to the Motorway. They then enter Bang Nam Prieo and Phanom Sarakham districts in Chachoengsao before using Highway No 319 to Prachin Buri and going via Nakhon Nayok and Sara Buri to the Northeast.

In Samut Sakhon, traffic police this afternoon closed Phetkasem highway from Phetkasem Soi 50 to Krathumban district due to the high floodwater level, reports said.

The runoff rapidly flowed from Buddhmonthon Sai 4 and Khlong Thawee Wattana to flood the main road to the South in only one hour, according to the reports.

The floodwater was about 50 centimetres deep and impassable for small vehicles.