"Baggage carts subject of new Thai airport inquiry"

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Baggage carts subject of new airport inquiry
BY AMORNRAT MAHITTHIROOK
Thailand - The Bangkok Post


The board of Airports of Thailand Plc (AoT) has found irregularities in the
calling of tenders and supply of baggage trolleys at Suvarnabhumi airport.
The investigation is focusing on changes to the terms of reference and on
substandard trolleys which have injured more than 100 passengers. 

Spokesman Chirmsak Pinthong said AoT management had repeatedly changed the
terms for the selection of the supplier. 

A former senior figure in the Transport Ministry changed the specifications
without following normal regulations. 

Excluded from the original terms was the requirement for contenders to have
experience in airport trolley services. 

The terms were also changed to welcome trolleys that lock into wheel grooves
on escalators, like those used in some hypermarkets, he said. 

The board wondered why AoT had rejected German trolley supplier Wanzl's
offer of free trolleys in exchange for advertising rights on the carts for
seven years. 

AoT awarded the supply contract to Thai Airports Ground Services Co (Tags),
which previously monopolised ground services at Don Muang airport. The
company is contracted to supply and maintain 9,000 trolleys at Suvarnabhumi
for seven years and to receive 533 million baht. 

Mr Chirmsak said the supplied trolleys had sharp edges that had injured more
than 100 passengers. Their supposedly escalator-friendly wheels also became
stuck when trolleys were used in grooved passages in the passenger terminal.


Tags chief executive Anuphong Rojnuckarin admitted the trolleys had
problems, but said the wheels, sharp edges and substandard baskets on 3,000
of them had already been fixed. 

He said the company had just followed the terms of reference set by AoT
which had already officially accepted the trolleys. 

The AoT board has set up an inquiry headed by former senator Pratin
Santiprabhob to investigate the trolley supply, commercial space development
at the airport by King Power, and other airport contracts worth 5.5 billion
baht that avoided bidding contests.

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