Commuters got a rush-hour surprise this morning when concrete came crashing down from BTS Ari into the busy road.
A large chunk of concrete broke off and fell from the overhead platform into Phahonyothin Road at about 7am, photos of which drew complaints of poor maintenance and unaccountable management after they were posted by user Isara Ariyachaipanich.
“I suddenly heard a loud noise, and when I turned around, the concrete piece had already fallen onto the road. Luckily it didn’t hit anybody,” Isara wrote in response to inquiries by Coconuts Bangkok. Isara said the train operator replied to a report made via its Facebook page only to say it had been passed along and an inspection completed at the station.
A bus driver reportedly pushed the concrete out of the road.
Since the images came online, they have been shared nearly 3,000 times. Many people expressed fear it could happen again with a more fatal outcome, as well as frustrations over skytrain maintenance.
“The livelihood of Thai citizens always hangs on a very thin thread,” Preawpray Akaraphongkarn wrote in a comment at about noon.
“Why do we bother paying so much for your service when you spend all your funds on advertising rather than maintaining your stations? #NoMoreConcession,” Kasintorn Honglawan commented at about 11:30am.
Kasintorn was among many to complain that the mass transit’s service doesn’t match the cost of its fares, which, according to a recent study, are too expensive for many Thais.
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