In a renewed effort to improve Bangkok’s environment, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has partnered with the Metropolitan Electricity Administration (MEA) to reorganize overhead wires along Charoen Krung Road by removing unnecessary cables.
After the majority of telecom service providers balked at the project because to the high expenses being charged by Krungthep Thanakom, the investment arm of BMA, the city administration’s attempt to transfer the cables underground has stalled.
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said yesterday (Monday) that cutting the useless wires, which run for nearly 4 km along Charoen Krung Road, will save money and time compared to moving the overhead lines to remove the eyesore. Within a month, the project is anticipated to be finished.
He stated that the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission and mobile phone service providers must be consulted before the BMA can merely disconnect the connections at will. He emphasized that this approach is quicker and more affordable than moving the lines underground.
Along with the intention to replace more than 100,000 street lights with LED bulbs, he added that the MEA also aims to reorganize another 450km of cabling throughout the capital in accordance with its geographic information system (GIS).
In the meanwhile, Mobile Phone Service Operators will now have to submit an official notification if they want to run cables between MEA power poles so that the MEA will know whose companies own them, according to Deputy Bangkok Governor Wisanu Subsompon.
He claimed that before to installing their wires, mobile phone service providers did not request authorization from the MEA to use such utility poles.
According to Wisanu, the BMA will begin removing the wires from Charoen Krung Road after which it will go to other roads like Saladaeng, Convent, Soi Phiphat, and finally Sukhumvit Road.
