Transport minister continues to push for flat rate on all Bangkok light-rail lines
PUBLISHED : 29 Nov 2024 at 21:29
The cabinet has approved a budget of 400 million baht to support the extension of the 20-baht flat fare for the Red and Purple electric train lines for another year.
The extension applies to the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) Red lines: Nakhon Withi Line from Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal to Taling Chan; and Thani Ratthaya from Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal to Rangsit in Pathum Thani.
The flat fare also covers the Metropolitan Rapid Transit (MRT) Purple Line from Tao Poon station in Bangkok to Khlong Bang Phai in Nonthaburi, government spokesman Jirayu Houngsub said on Friday.
The 20-baht flat fares will be in effect until Nov 30, 2025.
Similar measures for other lines are being considered, said Mr Jirayu.
Fares on other mass-transit systems vary by distance, ranging from 17 to 43 baht on the MRT routes and 15 to 62 baht on the BTS Skytrain system.
Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit has said the goal of the 20-baht flat fare was to reduce the burden of expenses for the public, address inequality and improve accessibility for all citizens.
He is pushing for a 20-baht flat rate for all electric train lines serving Greater Bangkok by September next year.
To achieve the goal, the government expects it would have to buy out the concessions of other operators at a cost of hundreds of millions of baht. To raise some of that money, the minister has floated the idea of making motorists pay a congestion charge of 40-50 baht to use major roads in the capital region.
Mr Suriya dismissed reports of substantial financial losses caused by the 20-baht policy, noting that the Red and Purple lines initially incurred a daily loss of 6.9 million baht before the number of passengers increased significantly.
As a result, revenue rebounded within three months, with the number of passengers having risen by 26.4% since the lower fares were introduced in October 2023, said the minister.