By Suchada Tupchai
It’s been more than half a year since the promised
arrival of the Pattaya City Bus Service. This added convenience for
residents and tourists, which was supposed to have started in January as a
New Year’s gift from the city, has yet to materialise. The latest
revised deadline came and went last month without a bus in sight, with
Pattaya Beach Bus Co Ltd telling city officials there were problems in
setting up bus stop signs.
The sign problems arose after some businesses protested
that the location in front of their premises would “inhibit” business.
The company was advised to find suitable alternative locations. Issues
over the location and design supposedly caused the delay in service until
June. That deadline has passed.
Residents are asking a plethora of questions, but there
are no answers forthcoming from either the company or city hall. The
silence has led to more questions from both residents and tourists as to
what the problem is and if and when the buses will run. The status of the
existing bus signs reflects the current course of inaction, as the signs
slowly deteriorate in the sun and rain, and benefit no one.
Pattaya Mail reporters have toured the intended bus
routes and surveyed the proposed bus stops throughout Pattaya. Signs
denoting a bus stop are present but the routes, after the city suggested
that they be changed, are still the same with almost no provisions made
for buses to pull over to drop off or collect passengers.
If the city is to leave this until last, we can only
see an increase in traffic congestion - something Pattaya is already
experiencing. Residents are already feeling as if the world is coming to
an end over the traffic issue, and more congestion through lack of action
will make it worse.
The main point all parties seem to be avoiding is the
supposed improvement in the administration’s efficiency. The public
transport project is not small by any means. The project has been
discussed for some time now. But with the green light for the system, not
to mention the need for a proper bus service, city officials have yet to
reveal any further action despite the heavy PR campaign since the start of
the year.
If this fails, it is not just a bus service. In reality
there are many areas where further problems will arise, specifically
traffic congestion, and the issue of broken promises and subsequent lack
of confidence. This is true for residents and visitors alike. Tourists
will determine a lack of willpower and organisation at what is supposed to
be an international standard resort city. Residents will want to know if a
public transport system that they very much need is going to come to
fruition or not. This uncertainty will destroy trust in the city
administration.
Will officialdom continue its uneasy silence and leave
residents and tourists guessing? It’s about time for some answers!
