PUBLISHED : 23 Dec 2023 at 05:17
Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit clarified on Friday a proposal to raise the excise tax on petrol in Greater Bangkok to encourage motorists to shift towards public transport was just an idea, saying he had no plan to implement it.
Mr Suriya apologised for the miscommunication and went on to say that the proposal was in fact an example he picked up from other countries and it was intended as a case study.
He insisted there was no plan to implement it.
The minister said that reducing the cost of living was the ministry’s priority and its plan to cap the fares of electric trains at 20 baht per trip would take effect within two years, without tax hikes on petrol.
On Wednesday, Mr Suriya said an increase of 0.50 baht per litre of petrol would motivate car drivers to use electric trains and the money would be used to subsidise the electric train system.
The proposal was raised at the meeting of senior transport officials to evaluate the ministry’s 20-baht fare policy, which is implemented by the State Railway of Thailand’s (SRT) Red Line and the Mass Rapid Transit Authority’s (MRT) Purple Line.
The tax income would be used to set up a fund to cover the losses which may be incurred by concession holders if the fares are capped to 20 baht per trip.
But the idea drew ire from Energy Minister Pirapan Salirathavibhaga, who said the tax hike would increase the living cost burden on people, which is actually the problem the government is trying to solve.
According to the energy minister, there were alternatives which the government should consider to find money to fund the government’s bid to keep train fares affordable.