3rd seminar on urban transport in Phuket: « Sustainable Urban Transport and Heritage project in Phuket » [Bangkok – Nov 17]

A
3rd workshop to move forward with the tram project in Phuket (Thailand)

Latest in a series of 3 seminars, the main objective of this seminar was to gather all key stakeholders of the Phuket Tram project, discuss and share the expectations of each one of them (at the local and national level), and agree on a road map for the upcoming months. Organized jointly by CODATU, DVDH, AFD and PDMO (Public Debt Management Office), it gathered representatives from NESDB (National Economic and Social Development Board), MRTA (Mass Rapid Transit Authority), OTP (Office for Transport and Planning) and Phuket province as well as municipality. The first part of the seminar gave the opportunity to the thai stakeholders to present their vision of the project and the related challenges and implications. The second half of the seminar focused on the restitution of the one-week « Fact Findings » mission of CODATU, DVDH and the Lyon Town Planning Agency in Phuket.

A one-week « Fact Finding » mission to analyse the feasibility and relevance of the envisaged tram project

The seminar marked the conclusion of a week of site visits and brainstorming with:

• Etienne Lhomet, Laura Cornelis, et Sylvie Lhomet (DVDH);
• Patrice Berger, Director of the Lyon Town Planninf Agency (UrbaLyon);
• Marion Hoyez, Project manager (CODATU)

The idea being this mission was to succeed, over a few days, to (i) take the pulse of the island in terms of trafic flow, through precise counts at each intersection of the alignment, (ii) conduct a careful analysis of the urban fabric in a 500m radius around the tram, (iii) imagine how the tram could fit in the urban landscape and (iv) understand the impact of the tram in terms of modal shift, reduction of the trafic and enhancement of the heritage.

The study has proposed, among other, to strenghten the tram project with a cable-car serving the western side of the island (Patong). The first financial analysis show that such network can be viable, and will be unique opportunity to enhance the heritage and provide a complete urban renewal ti Phuket.