CHON BURI: The Pattaya City Administration plans to introduce four monorail lines to ease traffic congestion.
It will begin with a 9.9-kilometre "Green Line" route which will connect the future high-speed train station to Bali Hai pier.
Pattaya deputy mayor, Manote Nongyai, chaired the fourth public hearing on the feasibility study and environmental impact assessment (EIA) for the Pattaya City rail development project at Pattaya Redemptorist Technological College for People with Disabilities on Tuesday.
Those present included three advisory companies, community leaders, locals, state agencies, and the private and civil society sectors.
Pongtavee Lertpanyavit, a project study supervisor, on Wednesday told the media the long-awaited monorail project would help mitigate traffic congestion and improve the city's transport system.
More than 80% of those present agreed that a monorail was the most suitable system for Pattaya City, Mr Pongtavee said, adding that City Hall presented a plan for four monorail lines -- Green, Yellow, Purple and Red -- complete with locations of maintenance and service centres during the public hearing.
He said Pattaya plans to build the Green Line first, adding it would give passengers of the future Don Mueang–Suvarnabhumi–U-Tapao high-speed rail route easy access to Pattaya Beach.
With 13 stations, the line will start from the high-speed train station and terminate at Bali Hai pier, where tourists can board boats to Koh Lan.
The development project consists of three phases, Mr Pongtavee said.
The first phase (2021-2026) is the construction period for the Green Line as well as the Yellow Line, which will be a dual-track rail project connecting the city of Chon Buri and Sattahip district in the southern part of the province.
The second phase (2027-2031) will see the construction of the Purple Line, which will run from the Nong Prue municipality to Muang Pattaya 8 School in Bang Lamung district, he said.
The third phase (2032-2036) is for the Red Line, which will run from the Eastern National Sports Training Centre on Chaiyaphruek 2 Road to the dolphin roundabout, he said.
