2017年3月20日星期一

柬泰合作‧跨境火车近期启动

柬泰合作‧跨境火车近期启动



波比市大部份铁路修復工程已完成。(柬埔寨星洲日报)

泰国政府將免费向柬埔寨赠送4部火车头,为近期启动柬泰跨境载客火车服务铺路。

公共工程和运输部副国务秘书李文仁日前向媒体披露,配合柬泰铁路重新“衔接”,柬埔寨和泰国公共工程部將於近期在波比市举行庆祝仪式,届时泰国政府將会移交4部火车头。

他指出,有关火车头属於復新火车头,主要是作为载客用途。 

他称,柬泰政府希望可以儘快启动跨境载客和货运火车服务,让居住在边境地区的两国人民可以乘搭火车互访,以及协助两国商家利用火车货运来降低运输成本。

他强调,以泰国火车头推动的柬泰跨境载客火车,时速將比现有的金边至西港(南部干线)时速快许多。

获得柬埔寨铁路营运私营合约的皇家铁路(Royal Railway)是於去年柬新年恢復中断多年的载客火车服务,惟火车时速最快只能达到每小时30公里,从金边至西港(约190公里)快则费时7个小时,慢则8个半小时。

据瞭解,由於南部干线修復工程仍未完工,令火车行驶速度受到限制,当局和专家在检查铁轨情况后,规定安全时速不得超过40公里。

无论如何,政府计划於今年內把南部路线时速提高至50至60公里。

北部干线今年修復

柬埔寨铁路北部干线修復工程预计將於今年內完成,届时从金边至位於柬泰边境的波比市將“一路通”。

公共工程和运输部副国务秘书李文仁称,目前从波比至马德望“失纵”铁路重新铺设工程已將近完工,今年工程部计划修復从马德望至菩萨铁路路段。

“一旦上述路段修復工程完工,火车將可以从金边直通波比。”

北部干线修復工程原本属於亚洲开发银行援助项目,惟援助款项却在半途用罄,导致修復工程被迫搁置。李文仁补充,为了確保铁路修復工程能儘快完成,政府决定从国库拨出2000万美元,以接手剩余的北部干线工程。

根据资料,北部干线铁路修復工程主要划分为三个部份,其中金边至实居省巴登路段已修復;从巴登至马德望路段原本状况大致完好;惟从马德望至波比路段则“失踪”,必须耗费大笔款项重新铺设。

柬埔寨铁路因在內战时期遭受严重破坏,导致铁路服务中断多年,直到获得在亚洲开发银行提供逾6千万美元及澳洲政府提供2150万美元援助下,公共工程和运输部於2011年开始修建全长共600多公里的两条铁路干线,即金边至波比的北部干线,以及金边至西哈努克的西部干线。

目前,金边至西港的南部干线已恢復川行。

竹火车將被禁用

隨著北部干线即將通车,深受外国游客喜爱的“竹火车”(柬文称“Nora”),也即將走入歷史。

因內战而受严重破坏的柬埔寨铁路,自1970年代末便被废置,惟部份路段基本上完好,因此民眾自制“竹火车”,利用铁路载人和载货,並引起外国游客的好奇和宣传,使这种特殊的“交通工具”声名远播。

其中,介於马德望省城佳县的奥丹邦村,至卜迭棉芷省玛莱县奥沙佬村之间的铁路路段,便是外国游客乘搭“竹火车”的热门地点,而暹粒和嗊吥省部份地区也有“竹火车”存在。

然而,公共工程和运输部官员证实,一旦全长386公里的北部干线修復工程竣工和火车服务恢復川行,“竹火车”將被禁止使用。

当局强调,“竹火车”只是当地民眾自发使用的“暂时性”交通工具,其安全和技术规格没有受到当局检查和监督,因此当局决定禁止“竹火车”,也是基於安全考量。

无论如何,“竹火车”业者和当地民眾已向旅游部和省政府提出要求,希望能保留这种独特的交通工具,以吸引外国游客到马德望旅游。

~柬埔寨星洲日报~

2017年3月9日星期四

巴蜀旅游新亮点 三百峰360度观景山超美

巴蜀旅游新亮点 三百峰360度观景山超美



巴蜀府(Prachuap Khiri Khan)龟武里县县长察迪昨天(18日)表示,三百峰国家公园即将推出新的旅游亮点,包括考登山360度观景、考登漂流等喜迎更多游客前来旅游。

察迪表示,三百峰国家公园是巴蜀府著名的旅游景区,为进一步推动旅游景区的发展以吸引更多游客前来旅游,龟武里县组织各有关单位和考登镇地方行政管理机构、乡村长、三百峰国家公园管理人员对各个景点进行实地考察,并研讨出开发计画,其中包括海拔320米的考登峰,该山峰位于三百峰国家公园北面400米处,在山顶可以360度观赏周围风光。

察迪表示,该县计画推出考登山360度观景峰供游客登顶观光,对登顶成功游客颁发荣誉证书,以吸引游客前来旅游。此外还将推出三百峰国家公园漂流观光项目,因为沿河自然风光非常秀丽。游客到此除了观光外还可以选购当地一镇一特产商品,包括著名的椰子香水等。

《泰国世界日报》

斯米兰岛又见30多短肢领航鲸 乐坏游客

斯米兰岛又见30多短肢领航鲸 乐坏游客



在得知斯米兰岛(Similan Islands)出现小蓝鲸后,今天(9日)上百名泰国国内外游客乘船前往攀牙府(Phang Nga Province)库拉武里县斯米兰群岛,只为一睹难得一见的蓝鲸。虽然他们没见到蓝鲸,却幸运地看到30多只在湛蓝海域游泳的黑色短肢领航鲸,所有游客都非常激动。





短肢领航鲸属于海豚科,但行为更接近鲸鱼,是两种领航鲸之一,一般体长3.5-6.5米,重1-4吨,初生的约长1.5-2米,重60公斤左右,须怀孕12-14个月才能分娩,同时也是一级保护动物。



《泰国世界日报》

2017年3月8日星期三

Unlicensed taxi drivers to be arrested but Uber not banned

Unlicensed taxi drivers to be arrested but Uber not banned

AMID the ongoing debate on the pros and cons of Uber and similar taxi-hailing services, Transport Minister Arkhom Termpitayapaisit said the government would not shut down Uber and other applications in Thailand but unlicensed taxis and drivers would be arrested.

The minister also said the government did not plan to exercise its sweeping powers under Article 44 of the interim charter to deal with Uber and similar services. However, he urged the new entrants to the transport market to follow Thai law on taxi licensing.

Other countries have faced problems similar to Thailand as Uber and other companies provide services because the income of traditional, licensed taxis was hurt by unlicensed taxi operators, Arkhom said.

“We’re enforcing the law as usual. If people filed complaints with the Department of Land Transport [about illegal taxies], we have to enforce the law. Private vehicles with black licence plates cannot be used to provide public taxi services. It’s against the law,” he said.

Officials had used Uber services posing as customers and then arrested the drivers, he said, following complaints by licensed taxi drivers and companies whose businesses had been negatively affected by Uber and other ride services.

Arkhom said the new companies should register vehicles as taxis so that they could provide legal services in Thailand.

“We have studied cases in several other countries where problems are similar to those in Thailand. After all, service providers have to follow the law in each country so that passengers can be legally protected. I’ve told Uber executives to abide by the law. I have no idea why they have not abided by the law,” he said.

In a statement issued yesterday, Uber said: “It is a smartphone app that enables ridesharing, a new way of getting around town made possible by technology and innovation. We are committed to continuing dialogue with DLT [Department of Land Transport] authorities to explain what Uber is and the benefits it is bringing to riders, drivers and cities.”

Arkhom said the ministry does not have a problem with new technology such as the use of apps for hailing taxis, which some taxi companies have already deployed. However, Uber’s problems regarded the use of unlicensed vehicles for taxi services.

Once Uber-affiliated vehicles are on the road they will be subject to the regulations of the DLT, he said.

In the United States, Uber and Lyft ride-sharing services are legal in some states, where special auto insurance coverage is required to pick up passengers. However, Uber and other app-based taxi services are still not legal in many countries, having faced strong opposition from local taxi companies and drivers.

Komson Sae Heng, a part-time Uber and Grab driver, said it was not practical to register his private vehicle as a taxi and apply for a taxi driving licence because it would be expensive.

The ongoing debate spilled over on social media, particularly on Facebook, where many supported Uber and Grab.

User Ton Gerdsen wrote that the existing taxi services needed to be regulated. “No problem after taxis will go where I want to go, have clean cars, no loud music and polite drivers.”

Even more succinct was Graeme Laird: “Stupid policy”.

Some users appeared to be unsure about the details of the new business operations even though they made use of the services. User Karen Metzger wrote: “I’m confused. I use Grab every time I’m there [Bangkok]. It’s always a taxi that responds. I’ve never had a private car arrive to pick me up. So what’s the difference? Taxi drivers are still getting the business it appears?”

That question elicited a response from Songwut Cio: “Grab taxi will always be taxis unless you use Grab car or Uber – then it comes in a private car.”

And the general frustration of some customers was clear. Facebook user Ben Guntanit posted an unprintable sentiment.

~News courtesy of The Nation~