Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt defended the design of new bus shelters that will ultimately replace about 3,000 bus stops across the city, saying the model and prices are appropriate given the difficulty of construction.
The governor made the comment after Bangkok Metropolitan Administration's (BMA) bus shelter procurement project came under public scrutiny, with critics blasting the design as inadequate given the high prices.
Mr Chadchart said the project needs to go ahead as out of the 5,601 bus stops across the capital, only 2,520 are permanent structures with a roof for commuters to shelter under.
The rest, he said, are makeshift stops, often featuring nothing more than a route marker.
"Building a new shelter is not as easy as one might think. We have to remove parts of the pavement, move underground utility and electric cables before reconnecting them to the shelter," he said. "This also can only be done at night, as to avoid inconveniencing pedestrians."
These complications have deterred contractors from putting in bids for the project, he said, but added that the prices quoted are based on standard rates, and in line with government regulations on procurement.
"If anyone can do it for 60,000-70,000 baht, please feel free to bid. I'll be more than happy [to consider the offer]," said Mr Chadchart.
BMA is looking to build two types of bus shelters to replace the existing ones across Bangkok.
The first, dubbed Type M shelters, are 2.3 metres by 3 metres, feature three seats and costs about 230,000 baht to build. The second, called Type L shelters, are 2.3m by 6m. These shelters, which cost 320,000 baht to build, can seat six people.
The new shelters are designed in collaboration with Navamindradhiraj University's City Lab.
Responding to criticisms about the "open" design of the shelters, Mr Chadchart said bus shelters are not meant to be fully enclosed.
