Concession improvement plan faces censure
PUBLISHED: 23 Jul 2024 at 08: 41
The proposal by Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit to give the Don Muang Tollway‘s controller a 30-year improvement in trade for a 50-baht decrease has received strong opposition from the Democrat Party.
The Lam Luk Ka city of Pathum Thani and the Din Daeng district of Bangkok are connected by a 21-kilometer expressway.
The plan follows the concessionaire’s plan to increase the fare for each section on December 22 by five to ten baht. This may increase the cost of the Don Muang to National Memorial part from 35 to 40 baht and from 80 to 90 ringgit for the Din Daeng to Don Muang area.
According to reports, Mr. Suriya claimed that the agreement extension would help the government since it would have to make up for the government’s declining income from the lower burden.
Past Democrat MP for Nakhon Nayok Charnchai Issarasenarak claimed the proposal was badly thought out because the agreement expires in 2034 and the state will receive the turnpike.
” After that, cars can use the road free of charge. If the agreement is extended, the technician will remain collecting income for another 30 times”, he said.
Samart Ratchapolsitte, former assistant Bangkok government, wrote on Twitter that state firms typically negotiate with road operators to delay burden rises to help lower people’s cost of living. Nevertheless, he said the president’s program is not in the government’s best interests. He claimed that while the agreement extension would gain drivers, it may mean that the state could not decide to set tolls during the extended agreement period. He claimed that the state will have the ability to reduce fares if the condition transfers the road after the concession is over.
The technician claims that the planned burden increases are in line with the agreement agreement’s five-year toll adjustments. Before the agreement ends, the burden will probably increase from 130 ringgit per journey to 145 baht per trip.
In 2014, the state would have been given the state’s 25-year unique agreement. However, the technician claimed that the government did not support a price increase increase and that traffic was slowed as a result of the opening of Suvarnabhumi Airport between 2005 and 2006.
After months of conflict, the operator and the Highway Department eventually agreed to allow the operator to continue operating the road for another 27 ages and increase the fares as agreed.