PUBLISHED: September 7, 2023, 4:00 p.m.
Suriya Jungrungreangkit, the minister of transportation, stated that it would take two years to carry out the Pheu Thai-led government’s commitment to reduce tickets on the electric train system in Greater Bangkok to a level rate of 20 baht.
The secretary added yesterday that concession-holders may pay more to the government because the policy will increase the number of passengers on the town’s electric trains, increasing the revenue of the businesses that operate them.
The 20-baht suffer pledge, according to Mr. Suriya, may take some time to put into effect because it necessitates difficult negotiations with numerous concession holders.
According to Mr. Suriya,” operators need computerized systems that can calculate costs and run an integrated ticket technique.”
The BTSC, which manages the state’s skytrain, does not have such a system, unlike the Mass Rapid Transit Authority.
According to the rector, the installation of such a program will set you back roughly one billion baht.
According to Mr. Suriya, a study predicted that once fares were set at 20 baht, the number of passengers would increase by about 10 %.
He argued that since the government must offer incentives for the policy to be successful, it is only good for it to ask the operators to pay higher dividends to the condition.
According to Bangkok’s rail system, which will eventually get integrated, passengers will only need one passport card, according to Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin. Currently, depending on the system and the distance traveled, tickets range from 17 to 47 ringgit.