The 2nd meeting of metro train accessibility verification for Pink Line (Khae Rai – Min Buri) and Yellow Line (Lat Phrao – Samrong)

19 March 2020, we joined a meeting regarding the metro accessibility verification of those ‘under-construction’ train lines in Bangkok by checking the blueprints and the road condition over the map around the station area.

The meeting involved by many parties including ours as the representatives from the Transportation for All (T4A), member from the Disabilities Thailand, the Association of the Physically Handicapped of Thailand, the Global Shapers Bangkok, and this time we’ve our young generation from Thammasat University (International Program) majoring in both Urban Design and Development (Faculty of architecture and planning) and Social policy and development also joined us.

The basic facilities and infrastructure inside the elevated train stations, for example, toilets, elevators from a ticket to platform level, are sufficient in terms of quantity, positions. No steps on Skywalk, however, our concern lied on the access to the station from the ground level.

1. Pink Line Train (Khae Rai – Min Buri)
   Monorail system, 30 stations, with station length of 110 meters in average. From our initial assessment, all stations seem highly likely accessible enough. Almost all of them are equipped with elevators and ramps with a 4:2 standard (4 entrances with 2 elevators). Only a few that is different due to physical limitation including:
   1. Lak Si (PK14) and Wat Phra Si (PK16): using 2:2 standard (2 entrances, 2 elevators)
   2. Muang Thong (PK09): using 2:1 standard (2 entrances, 1 elevator)

2. Yellow Line (Lat Phrao – Samrong)
   Monorail system, 23 stations, with station length of 110 meters in average. The physical appearance of Lat Phrao – Samrong area is quite busy. The land expropriation in this area is also a challenging problem we’re confronting. Briefly, we estimates that almost all stations are highly likely accessible enough. However, our concern in this line lied were on some stations:

   1. Chokchai 4 (YL03)
      The #1 entrance seems difficult to access, road condition survey will be made and properly need an extra elevator or the last choice: traffic light and zebra crossing.

   2. Lat Phrao 71 (YL04)
      Requested extra one elevator.

   3. Lat Phrao 101 (YL07)
      We suspect the its #2 entrance accessibility, physical survey will be made to confirm the accessibility from entrance# 2-3.

   4. Si Kritha (YL10)
      Requested one elevator at its #4 entrance.

   5. Kelantan (YL12)
      Requested one elevator at its #4 entrance, MRTA report problem of land expropriation.

Thanks to MRTA and the contractors for your insightful, and deep, information which made the evaluating of the 53 stations in less than 5 hours possible!! Nonetheless, we’re planning further to do a field survey.

I’d like to stress once again. Since the very beginning, every involved parties and stakeholders put their concerns to the table, to discuss it openly and everyone shares their viewpoints, we would get an impressive result for all.

Keep in touch, stay tuned from our updates!

Reference:

• Pink Line: http://www.mrta-pinkline.com/project_detail/เส้นทางสายสีชมพู/
• Yellow Line: https://mrta-yellowline.com/wp/2-locations-proj-th/