Skytrain: Owner-friendly land seizure

Giving owners of land along Skytrain space in stations for shops & businesses means less legal battles & faster completion times.

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Economics

OTP outlines new land seizure rules

Transit landowners get business preference
3/09/2012
Kanana Katharangsiporn

The Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTP) will give owners of land designated for new mass-transit stations preference in operating a commercial business in stations in order to avoid land disputes and reduce land purchase costs.

Director-general Chula Sukmanop, OTP director-general, said the idea will be applied at any new mass transit project up for bidding. Prospective lines are the Green Line between Bearing and Samut Prakhan, the Green Line between Mo Chit and Saphan Mai to Ku Kot, and the Pink Line between Chaeng Wattana and Min Buri.

"This will shorten the land expropriating process which usually takes up to three years to complete. This time-consuming process has always delayed mass transit construction in the past despite the bidding being completed," he said, adding that the longest delay was six years on Phutthamonthon Sai 2 Road.

He said the objectives of land expropriation for mass transit development in the past had a limitation on land use, but the new one will be more open. It will expropriate land for commercial use and be open for the private sector to co-develop.

We should add value to the lands which will be used as mass transit stations. This will be a good channel for the mass transit system to generate income and will help reduce construction costs which mean a reduction in the fare.

Lands which will be used for mass transit stations will likely be developed for commercial property, he said, as a large number of commuters use stations.

The OTP has no specific details for this co-utilisation of land but will consider proposals on a case-by-case basis.

In some cases, there may be a station within a building which may occupy two to three storeys. But the rest of the building will benefit and be used as retail space or as office space.

Although investment in property development is higher than buying or expropriating land, returns are also higher.

"It will be a win-win situation for the mass transit operator and the private sector," he said. "In the past, it was very difficult to expropriate land for mass transit use. But now people know the benefits of being near mass transit stations."

Mr Chula added this will also be a new approach for OTP to discuss with the public or land owners who usually prefer avoiding land expropriation.

In the past, the private sector approached the mass transits. They built their own skywalks and links with mass transit stations. Now we approach them.

The idea will also help OTP speed up development of new mass transits in the future as required by the government.

Mayta Chanchamcharat, Pruksa Real Estate's chief business officer, agreed with OTP's idea, suggesting the best-use analysis will help maximise benefits.

"This is a good idea and helps reduce spending on land," he said. "However, there should be other options for land owners or the private sector such as land sales or leases."

Property development close to, and around stations should be for commercial purpose or retail as this would complement residential areas nearby. To attract partners, rental guarantees should be applied.

"Not all locations along mass transit routes can have retail or commercial development," he added. "It depends on the location. For example, Saphan Mai and Ku Kot will have mass transit but only Saphan Mai has the potential for commercial development."

(Source: Bangkok Post, Economics, OTP outlines new land seizure rules, Transit landowners get business preference, 3/09/2012, Kanana Katharangsiporn, link) 


Mass Transit Development Vocabulary

mass transit - transport or ways of getting around a city or between cities that everyone can use, such as a bus or a train, a car is not mass transit (See Wikipedia)
mass - large numbers จำนวนมหาศาล
transit - the act of moving from one place to another การเดินทางผ่าน

mass-transit stations
mass transit lines
mass transit operator

construction - the work of building or making something, especially buildings, bridges, etc. การก่อสร้าง
mass transit construction

development - the building of something; the gradual growth and formation of something
mass transit development

develop (verb)
co - do something together with other people
co-develop - develop together with other people

eminent domain - the legal process of the government taking away private land for some public use such as mass transit (See Wikipedia)

expropriate - take away something from someone 
expropriate land -  take away land from someone 
land expropriation (noun) - the act or process of taking away land from someone 

process - a series of actions that you take in order to achieve a result แนวทางปฏิบัติ, กระบวน, วิธีการ
the land expropriating process - the process of taking land away from people (to use for something else)

seizure (noun) - the act of taking control of something, especially by using power or force การบุกเข้ายึด
seize (verb)

land seizure
OTP outlines new land seizure rules

preference - something that you want or like most ความต้องการ

give preference - meaning: they will choose this person first, before other people
get preference

Transit landowners get business preference

designated - chosen for a special purpose ที่ได้รับการแต่งตั้ง แต่งตั้ง   แต่งตั้งให้เป็น  marked, separated, or give a name for a particular purpose ถูกกำหนด
land designated for new mass-transit stations

commercial - for business purposes
commercial business
commercial property
commercial development

operating a commercial business
operating a commercial business in stations

disputes - a disagreement, argument, fight
land disputes
avoid land disputes

purchase - buy  
land purchase - buy land

land purchase costs - the costs of buying land
reduce land purchase costs

The Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTP) will give owners of land designated for new mass-transit stations preference in operating a commercial business in stations in order to avoid land disputes and reduce land purchase costs.

bidding - making an offer in an auction (here trying to offer to do project for lowest cost and thus win contract)
up for bidding - meaning: will be sold, people can make an offer or "bid", that is name a price to buy it

prospective - possible in the future (plans and proposals but no final decision)
prospective lines

Director-general Chula Sukmanop, OTP director-general, said the idea will be applied at any new mass transit project up for bidding. Prospective lines are the Green Line between Bearing and Samut Prakhan, the Green Line between Mo Chit and Saphan Mai to Ku Kot, and the Pink Line between Chaeng Wattana and Min Buri.

time-consuming - uses a lot of time
time-consuming process

delay - when you have to wait longer than expected for something to happen, or the time that you have to wait การเลื่อน  การเสียเวลา
the longest delay was six years

"This will shorten the land expropriating process which usually takes up to three years to complete. This time-consuming process has always delayed mass transit construction in the past despite the bidding being completed," he said, adding that the longest delay was six years on Phutthamonthon Sai 2 Road.

objectives - goals; aims; things that you plan to achieve จุดมุ่งหมาย

sector - a part of the economy ภาคเศรษฐกิจของประเทศ (public sector = government, private sector = all businesses, household sector = families and consumers, banking sector,...) (See Wikipedia)
private sector - all the businesses owned by people in the country (not owned by the govenment)

He said the objectives of land expropriation for mass transit development in the past had a limitation on land use, but the new one will be more open. It will expropriate land for commercial use and be open for the private sector to co-develop.

channel - a way to do something ใช้ไปในทาง ช่องทาง ใช้ความสามารถที่ม ี
generate - to produce ก่อให้เกิด create สร้าง กระตุ้นให้เิกิด

income - money that people receive from work or some other source, used for household consumption and savings
channel to generate income

fare - the price of mass transit (the amount of money paid to travel on train or bus)
reduction in fare

commuters - people who regularly travel between work and home คนเดินทางระหว่างบ้านและที่ทำงาน

We should add value to the lands which will be used as mass transit stations. This will be a good channel for the mass transit system to generate income and will help reduce construction costs which mean a reduction in the fare. Lands which will be used for mass transit stations will likely be developed for commercial property, he said, as a large number of commuters use stations.

has no specific details - has no information about it

utilise (verb) - use
utilisation (noun)

co-utilisation - use at the same time (as other people)
co-utilisation of land

case - a situation or person to be dealt with
do on a case-by-case basis - dealing with each situation differently (to solve its unique problems)
will consider proposals on a case-by-case basis -

The OTP has no specific details for this co-utilisation of land but will consider proposals on a case-by-case basis.

station - a place where some activity takes place (for example: power station, police station, fire station, space station, way station)
occupy - to work or live on a piece of land อาศัยอยู่ใน, ครอบครอง

benefit - to get help or an advantage from something ผลประโยชน์
benefits - good things that can happen from an activity ผลประโยชน์
maximise benefits

space - an empty or available area in a building that can be used for an office or apartment
office space - area in a building for offices (that can be rented or purchased)

retail - to sell directly to the public for their own use ขายปลีก
retail space - area in a building that can be used for a store

In some cases, there may be a station within a building which may occupy two to three storeys. But the rest of the building will benefit and be used as retail space or as office space.

investment - taking your money and putting it into projects to make a profit or earn interest (buying stock shares, bonds, real estate)
returns - the amount you get from an investment you make or a business you run  

Although investment in property development is higher than buying or expropriating land, returns are also higher.

win-win - when everyone wins (not just one winner)
a win-win situation - a situation or outcome that everyone can benefit from

"It will be a win-win situation for the mass transit operator and the private sector," he said. "In the past, it was very difficult to expropriate land for mass transit use. But now people know the benefits of being near mass transit stations."

approach - a way of doing or dealing with something วิธีการทำให้ถึงจุดหมาย การจัดการกับปัญหา
a new approach

prefer - like this (better than other things)
prefer avoiding land expropriation

Mr Chula added this will also be a new approach for OTP to discuss with the public or land owners who usually prefer avoiding land expropriation.

skywalks - the places for people to walk above the street; footbridge; overhead walkway ทางเชื่อมระหว่างตึก สะพาน

links - connections ความเชื่อมโยงกัน
links with mass transit stations

options - choices ทางเลือก
options - the different things that someone can choose to do ทางเลือก

In the past, the private sector approached the mass transits. They built their own skywalks and links with mass transit stations. Now we approach them. The idea will also help OTP speed up development of new mass transits in the future as required by the government. Mayta Chanchamcharat, Pruksa Real Estate's chief business officer, agreed with OTP's idea, suggesting the best-use analysis will help maximise benefits. "This is a good idea and helps reduce spending on land," he said. "However, there should be other options for land owners or the private sector such as land sales or leases.

residential - houses for families to live in (not businesses) บริเวณที่พักอาศัย
residential areas - places where people live

complement - go nice with something else (add value when together with something else)
complement residential areas - goes nice with residential areas

attract - to cause someone to be interested in something ดึงดูดความสนใจ
partners - the companies owning part of the joint venture หุ้นส่วน
attract partners

potential - the possibility of success ที่มีศักยภาพ ที่เป็นไปได้
has the potential for commercial development

Property development close to, and around stations should be for commercial purpose or retail as this would complement residential areas nearby. To attract partners, rental guarantees should be applied. "Not all locations along mass transit routes can have retail or commercial development," he added. "It depends on the location. For example, Saphan Mai and Ku Kot will have mass transit but only Saphan Mai has the potential for commercial development."