Council urges govt to keep poll pledge
PUBLISHED : 10 Jan 2024 at 06:14
The Thailand Consumers Council (TCC) is urging the government to consider capping the maximum fare for travelling on the newly opened Pink Line monorail system at 20 baht per trip as promised in the government’s 20-baht-per-ride scheme being implemented on the Red and Purple lines.
Commencing commercial operations on Sunday, the Pink Line currently offers a 15% discount on tickets while repairs to its conductor rail, which fell off, causing damage to a number of parked cars on Dec 24, are pending.
The discount now puts ticket fares at 13 baht to 38 baht, which applies to travel between Chonlaprathan and Min Buri stations, while the cost of travelling between Government Complex and Samakkhi stations are waived until the repairs to the conductor rail are complete.
TCC secretary-general, Saree Ongsomwang, said the standard fares of between 15 baht and 45 baht for Pink Line services were rather high, especially when compared to the actual costs of an electric light rail which was found to be between 10.10 baht and 16.30 baht per passenger per trip. She cited the findings of a TCC study from 2014 to 2019.
These findings were in line with another study conducted by the Department of Rail Transport (DRT), which included a calculation of the average cost of operating an electric heavy rail system and a monorail service, said Ms Saree.
The DRT’s study found the average cost of operating an electric heavy rail service per passenger per trip was 14.31 baht while the average cost of operating an electric light rail, also called a monorail service, was 11.67 baht per passenger per trip, she said.
Findings from these two studies clearly show the government can implement its 20-baht-per-ride scheme on the Pink Line, she said.
In addition, the flat rate encourages people to use electric rail services. She cited the Red and the Purple Lines as an example where the implementation of this low-cost electric rail service scheme on the two lines helped the government cut the cost of handling pollution in Bangkok by 950 million baht per year, she said, citing a TCC study.
Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit, meanwhile, said even though the implementation of the 20-baht-per-ride scheme on the Red and Purple Lines has attracted more passengers, losses were rising as well.
The minister expected the two lines to be in profit in about a year from now when the number of passengers rises to a high enough level.
Keeree Kanjanapas, director of Northern Bangkok Monorail Co, the Pink Line concessionaire, said the line helps shorten travel time, particularly between Khaerai and Min Buri, one of the most heavily congested travel routes in the city.
Saree: Standard fares ‘rather high’