Public buses go the extra mile

Specially adapted BMTA vehicles plough through flooded streets to help those in need

Bangkok passenger buses have made a big difference to flood victims' lives in the past month, as they depart from their usual routes to take flood victims to shelters and in some cases even to their homes.

The special service provided by the state-run Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) at the request of the government's Flood Relief Operations Command (Froc) has continued even as private buses and passenger vans have delayed services while waiting for the floods to subside.

"The government assigns the BMTA to carry people from flooded areas to shelters and serve people in flooded communities which small vehicles cannot reach," said BMTA director Opas Phetmunee. "If the BMTA was not providing the service, the public would be in deep trouble."

He admitted his loss-ridden organisation was risking its own buses, especially their engines, by maintaining transit services on flooded streets.

It is trying to contain the risks by withdrawing airconditioned bus services from deeply flooded areas. In areas under 30-40cm of water or more, it provides only non-airconditioned buses.

The BMTA has specially modified its buses to run in heavily flooded areas.

On streets under 1m of water or more, the BMTA runs buses with platforms elevated by additional springs. Six buses have been are elevated for this purpose.

For areas under even deeper water, the BMTA must also bow out and leave commuters to boats or military vehicles.

The state enterprise is operating about 200 buses on flooded main roads.

Its management reviews the flood situation in Bangkok daily or even hourly to find out where its buses can still run.

The BMTA has shortened 67 of its 108 routes, and introduced 26 special routes to serve flood-affected people.

They include routes to Min Buri, Lat Krabang, Nong Chok, Kaset Navamin, Charan Sanitwong and Arun Amarin. Buses run in flooded areas from 4am to midnight, which are normal service hours for BMTA buses.

However, Mr Opas said groups of passengers who have to travel later than midnight can call the BMTA at its hotline number 184 to seek special services. The BMTA has set aside 100 buses for such missions.

Buses deployed on flooded routes are checked every day. Four buses have broken down in floodwater. Three have been salvaged and the other still rests in Bang Bua Thong district of Nonthaburi.

The BMTA is also helping its bus drivers and attendants hit by the floods.

Staff whose homes have been flooded have been offered temporary shelter at its branch offices. It has also paid overtime to staff who work in flooded areas.

Mr Opas said drivers have found spikes on roads in flooded areas including Watcharapol Road, Or Ngern and Wongsakorn markets and Sai Mai district. 

BMTA buses have run over the spikes, which flatten their tyres. Boat operators who regard the buses as rivals for customers are thought to have laid the spikes.