Thailand to work out 20-year road development plan

BANGKOK, August 5 (TNA) - Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-ocha has ordered the Ministry of Transport to formulate a 20-year road development plan in order to improve nationwide roads, with the combined distance of 470,000 kilometers, up to official standard and to create their good networking. Thai Permanent Secretary for Transport Soithip Trisuddhi told journalists that the prime minister made the instruction at the Cabinet's weekly meeting on August 4. Soithip said the strategic plan, expected to be proposed to the Cabinet within this month, will be implemented from 2016 to 2036 and will cover timetables for road construction, budgets for new roads and road maintenance projects. Soithip pointed out that the road construction and maintenance are now under the jurisdiction of many state agencies, namely the Department of Highways handles main national highways, the Department of Rural Roads takes care of minor roads and local administrative organizations and the Royal Irrigation Department also develop roads in their mandate. But, Soithip explained, the new 20-year plan will integrate the road work of all the relevant agencies and make their projects respond to one another, together with setting standard materials and lane numbers for different kinds of roads. According to the senior official, the new road strategic plan is also aimed to support other national development plans, including those concerning community economic development, border and special economic development zones and tourism-oriented routes. (TNA)