Governor Sophon was speaking after an official press conference yesterday (Nov 29) at Provincial Hall that was focused on promoting the image of tourism and associated policies in Phuket.
One notion the Governor had discussed with several private sector organisations was the idea of constructing a monorail to help alleviate traffic woes.
This would be instead of the previously proposed light rail system which, Governor Sophon explained, has been under consideration for a long time but is still unclear and yet to proceed.
A monorail system could be a much better solution and is something he plans to propose to Suriya Juangroongruangkit, Minister of Transport, he added.
“We want to solve traffic problems and we need to be more decisive,” the Governor said. “We are discussing with the private sector and will revert to the Ministry of Transport in due course.
“There are also other matters such as introducing an AI system to control traffic lights, which is a priority for the Ministry of Transport. However, this is unlikely to happen immediately as it needs to be thoroughly studied first.
“The private sector can help with investment but the Transport Ministry needs to assess whether this is something they are prepared to embrace or not,” he explained.
“Times change, as do demands and we need to be flexible and explore all options,” he said, while referencing the Ekkamai BTS skytrain station on the Sukhumvit line in Bangkok.
“We also need to determine why the light rail project has not proceeded, despite talks ongoing for a long time.
“I personally think that monorails are easier to build. They don’t have to expropriate land and they are much more cost effective. There is an easier flow as there are no traffic lights and they would be preferable to the trams used in the light rail system which could cause further congestion on limited and narrow sections of road across the island,” the Governor explained.
Traffic has become a major issue island-wide, with heavy congestion and significant jams being experienced on a daily basis. This has been especially evident in the popular tourist areas such as Cherng Talay, Bang Tao, Patong and Karon as heavy construction continues at a staggering, many argue, unsustainable pace, further adding to the traffic congestion.