Bicycles are now available for rent at two rental stations near subway and skytrain stations in Bangkok under a project launched yesterday by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration to encourage cycling in the heart of the city. KOSOL NAKACHOL
By Terry Fredrickson
It's not an ambitious project yet – just 16 bicycles – but Bangkok pedalling enthusiasts must be hoping it leads to something much, much bigger.
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Bicycle rental project begins in Bangkok
The bikes in action after yesterday's launch. KOSOL NAKACHOL
It's not an ambitious project yet, but Bangkok bicycle enthusiasts must be hoping it leads to something much, much bigger.
The project, launched by City Hall yesterday, aims to encouraging pedalling as an alternative mode of transport in the heart of the city.
A total of 16 bikes are being made available for rent in what Deputy Bangkok governor Teerachon Manomaiphibul calls the pilot phase of the project.
He says the project will start at Chamchuri Square and the Bangkok Bank Siam Square Branch (at the corner of Henry Dunant Road) with eight bicycles in place for rent at both rental stations.
The project will expand to 50 stations with 500 bikes in inner city areas by February next year.
Rental fees will be paid by electronic smart cards available online or at the bike rental stations. Bike users must be at least 18 years old and they can register using their national ID cards, civil service identification cards or their passports.
Registered users have to pay a 320-baht membership fee that includes a 220-baht card fee and 100 baht credit towards using the bikes.
The first 15 minutes are free and the next forty-five minutes will cost 10 baht, rising to 80 baht for between six to eight hours of use and 100 baht beyond that.
The bikes will be tracked by a GPS system, with a 500 baht fine per day, not including rental fees, for unreturned bikes.
A 50,000 baht insurance package, including one year of medical treatment will be provided for registered bike users.
You can read previous article at http://www.bangkokpost.com/learning/books/313641/introducing-thailand-submerged.
Vocabulary
available – that you can get, find or buy มีอยู่, หาได้
rent – to pay money for the use of something for a period of time เช่า
launch – to start a new public service เริ่มโครงการ, เริ่มต้น
Bangkok Metropolitan Administration –
encourage – to cause someone to want to do something กระตุ้น ให้การสนับสนุน
ambitious – needing a great amount of skill and effort to be successful or be achieved ใฝ่สูง, มักใหญ่ใฝ่สูง, ทะเยอทะยาน
enthusiast – a person who is very interested in something and spends a lot of time doing it คนที่กระตือรือร้น
pedal – to push the pedals of a bicycle round with your feet ถีบจักรยาน
alternative – something that you can choose instead of something else ทางเลือก
mode – a particular way of doing something; a particular type of something แบบ, วิธีการ
transport – moving people or things from one place to another การขนส่ง
deputy – a person whose rank is immediately below that of the leader of an organisation รอง
pilot – of a plan, product or system that is used to test how good something is before introducing it นำร่อง
phase – a particular period of time during the development of something ช่วง, ระยะ
branch – an office, company, shop, etc., representing a large company or organisation in a particular area สาขา
corner – a part of something where two or more sides, lines, edge, streets, etc. join มุม, หัวมุมถนน
expand – to make or become larger ขยาย
fee – an amount of money that you pay to be allowed to do something ค่าธรรมเนียม
register – to put your name and other information on an official list in order to be allowed to do something, e.g., vote, study, stay in a hotel etc ลงทะเบียน
identification card (ID card) – an official card or a document that can prove who you are บัตรประชาชน
civil service – the government departments responsible for putting central government plans into action ราชการพลเรือน.
track – to follow the course of a moving object such as a ship, aircraft or animal using special equipment ติดตาม, ตามรอย
GPS – global positioning system (a system by which signals are sent from satellites to a special device, used to show the position of a person or thing on the surface of the earth very accurately) จีพีเอส (ระบบกำหนดตำแหน่งบนโลก)
fine – to be required to pay an amount of money because you have broken the law ปรับเป็นเงิน
insurance – an arrangement in which you regularly pay an insurance company an amount of money so that they will give you money if something you own is damaged, lost, or stolen, or if you die or are ill or injured การประกัน
treatment – the process of providing medical care การรักษา
provide – to cause something to exist or be available ให้
