Transport Ministry plans to build 11 more toll-free motorways
BANGKOK, Dec 12 (TNA) -
The Transport Ministry is committed to the plans to build 13 motorways parallel to the country's main routes -- with no charges to use the special highways, according to Deputy Transport Minister Chainant Charoensiri.
To date only two of the planned 13 motorways are in use -- Route 7 linking Bangkok and Chonburi and Route 9, the Eastern Ring Road.
Toll fees are currently levied but future drivers will use the other new motorways free of charge, said Gen. Chainant.
This means, he adds, that in the future the Highway Department will not transfer management of motorways to the Express and Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (ETA).
Another key feature of the future motorways will be the entry-exit points to main regional and community centres including universities.
Plans to build more access points linking major community locations are also underway for Route 7 and Route 9.
As traffic increases along these two routes, the toll tariffs should come down, said the deputy transport minister.
Under a 20-year motorway transport system development plan spanning 1997-2016, the Thai government plans to build 13 motorways totaling 4,150 km.
With Routes 7 and 9 now in use, next in the pipeline is the motorway linking Bang Yai and Ban Pong. (TNA)-E007