Busting out: New Phuket Smart Bus service to serve entire west coast 

Shela Riva

 

Phuket City Development Co Ltd (PKCD) Executive Director Watchara Jaru-ariyanon stands beside a Smart Bus, one of a fleet of nine to start serving passengers from the airport all the way down the west coast. Photo: Shela Riva
 

PHUKET: The PKCD Smart Bus will begin its trial run in the coming week, ahead of its launch to provide a bus service along Phuket’s west coast at the end of this month.

 

The move is historic. Not since tuk-tuk drivers nearly two decades stopped the sole bus operating between the two key resort towns of Patong and Karon, pulled the driver from the bus and beat him within an inch of his life in broad daylight has anyone dared to launch another bus service along that route again.

 

The PKCD Smart Bus service will challenge that authority, operating through the tuk-tuk and taxi mafia heartland and carrying passengers from Phuket International Airport all the way to the island’s southernmost beach town of Rawai for a minimum fare of B50 and a maximum fare of just B170.

Full story: https://www.thephuketnews.com/busting-out-new-phuket-smart-bus-service-to-serve-entire-west-coast-65820.php#xPa2KUfHxWV0u5aI.97

 

 

-- © Copyright Phuket News 2018-02-03

 

 

So that's the very well dressed smart driver. 

That's made my day that has, Butler. Now get that bus out!

Very optimistic.  Lets see whether it will go the way of its predecesors.  On a more positive note, I hope it succeed.

1 hour ago, LivinginKata said:

So that's the very well dressed smart driver. 

No, that's the Executive Director of the company. Drivers are to be well turned out in case the brakes fail....

I thought I'd never see the day.
Lets hope it works out.

Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk

Only until the taxi and tuk tuk mafia get their campaign going....threats to drivers, rocks through windows....

13 hours ago, sebastion said:

I thought I'd never see the day.
Lets hope it works out.

Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk
 

You've not yet...

Lets see what happens?

who is he picking up at the air port???

seems to be a well thought out business plan, wheelchair access, luggage space, good quality buses, apps to see where the next bus is, lets hope its a success and as good as the plans

18 hours ago, madmitch said:

That's made my day that has, Butler. Now get that bus out!

Sod off Blakey.

 

Oh dear showing our age now

It doesn't matter that the. executive director of the company looks a bit scruffy in the picture. (Brits really need to learn to look at substance rather than appearance)

 

The important thing about this is that someone seems to have a well organized plan to actually start a west coast bus service despite the obvious difficulties and even dangers of such a startup. Most of us locals would have thought it was an impossibility to even contemplate.

Hopefully the planning includes contingencies to safeguard the business, and employees, against backlashes from the thugs who will have their crooked livelihoods severely affected.

I'm hopeful for their success, but pessimistic about their chances. 

Never heard of any violence when the airport to kata eventually extended from Patong to kata.

21 hours ago, ChrisY1 said:

Only until the taxi and tuk tuk mafia get their campaign going....threats to drivers, rocks through windows....

Yep, lets recap on events of 20 years ago. I wondered how many posts it would take to dredge this up.

 

We welcome your input though. A quiet day in Cha-Am, maybe I should pop up there for comment?

5 hours ago, Old Croc said:

It doesn't matter that the. executive director of the company looks a bit scruffy in the picture. (Brits really need to learn to look at substance rather than appearance)

 

The important thing about this is that someone seems to have a well organized plan to actually start a west coast bus service despite the obvious difficulties and even dangers of such a startup. Most of us locals would have thought it was an impossibility to even contemplate.

Hopefully the planning includes contingencies to safeguard the business, and employees, against backlashes from the thugs who will have their crooked livelihoods severely affected.

I'm hopeful for their success, but pessimistic about their chances. 

How dare you praise a project- the Thaigeezers will have apoplexy  (especially those off island who are completely unaffected by it but will feel the need to post ad nauseum) !  

A positive transport thread and no sign of NKM! Has he died from the shock?

The Phuket Smart City is a serious thing. You can draw your own conclusions.

 

I attended the official meeting. I will reserve my opinion.  But it is happening.

On 2/5/2018 at 12:13 AM, xvend said:

The Phuket Smart City is a serious thing. You can draw your own conclusions.

 

I attended the official meeting. I will reserve my opinion.  But it is happening.

 

I hope so. I have to say, I expect the worse. Too many people make too much money on this route for this to go over well. 

On 2/4/2018 at 11:52 PM, madmitch said:

A positive transport thread and no sign of NKM! Has he died from the shock?

 

Whilst some members think the owner and / or driver, or the bus itself, will be the focus of violence or property damage, I think it will simply be nobbled with restrictions, thus, making it inconvenient, and unsustainable.

 

It will be held up as a "positive" but in 2018, in a so called "World Class Tourist Destination" for this to even be news shows how ridiculous public transport is here.

 

Time will tell how this will play out. 

19 hours ago, NamKangMan said:

 

Whilst some members think the owner and / or driver, or the bus itself, will be the focus of violence or property damage, I think it will simply be nobbled with restrictions, thus, making it inconvenient, and unsustainable.

 

It will be held up as a "positive" but in 2018, in a so called "World Class Tourist Destination" for this to even be news shows how ridiculous public transport is here.

 

Time will tell how this will play out. 

Can you describe the type of 'restrictions' that could be used to nobble this bus service?

2 minutes ago, Chainsaw said:

Can you describe the type of 'restrictions' that could be used to nobble this bus service?

 

Historical the biggest 'restriction' has been the placement of the airport bus stop far away from arrival street doors, and lack of signs to say where to find public bus. Also all the touts telling potential passengers that there is no public bus service. I've watched them do it.

2 minutes ago, LivinginKata said:

 

Historical the biggest 'restriction' has been the placement of the airport bus stop far away from arrival street doors, and lack of signs to say where to find public bus. Also all the touts telling potential passengers that there is no public bus service. I've watched them do it.

So touts at every bus stop along the route? I can't see that happening. I prefer to take a more optimistic view that finally things are starting to change. Time will tell.

 

1 minute ago, Chainsaw said:

So touts at every bus stop along the route? I can't see that happening. I prefer to take a more optimistic view that finally things are starting to change. Time will tell.

 

 

Oh dear Oh dear .  No -  just at the airport where the bulk of any pax business will  be generated.  There will be no pax jumping on the bus outward bound once left airport.

21 minutes ago, LivinginKata said:

 

Oh dear Oh dear .  No -  just at the airport where the bulk of any pax business will  be generated.  There will be no pax jumping on the bus outward bound once left airport.

Oh dear indeed. So no-one wanting to go to Patong, Kata or Karon from Kamala? The proposed route is ALL of the West coast! Pessimism is such an affliction. Oh dear!

 

24 minutes ago, Chainsaw said:

Oh dear indeed. So no-one wanting to go to Patong, Kata or Karon from Kamala? The proposed route is ALL of the West coast! Pessimism is such an affliction. Oh dear!

 

 

LIK has described how they have restricted trade of the airport bus.

 

I would not be surprised if the bus stops along the coast for this bus route were not in central locations, thus, still leaving customers for the transport mafia, albeit, for a shorter distance. 

 

Also, it could be easily nobbled with the amount of buses allowed to ply the route, which obviously effects the frequency of the bus timetable.  Bus size could also be restricted.

 

Another way would be it is restricted to run between certain times.  Probably not allowed to run late at night, so the transport mafia can still rip off drunk tourists from Bangla Road. 

 

Like I said, it's 2018, and Phuket is supposedly "A World Class Tourist Destination" and we are supposed to be thankfully this bus is "allowed" to start running - give me a break. 

1 hour ago, NamKangMan said:

 

LIK has described how they have restricted trade of the airport bus.

 

I would not be surprised if the bus stops along the coast for this bus route were not in central locations, thus, still leaving customers for the transport mafia, albeit, for a shorter distance. 

 

Also, it could be easily nobbled with the amount of buses allowed to ply the route, which obviously effects the frequency of the bus timetable.  Bus size could also be restricted.

 

Another way would be it is restricted to run between certain times.  Probably not allowed to run late at night, so the transport mafia can still rip off drunk tourists from Bangla Road. 

 

Like I said, it's 2018, and Phuket is supposedly "A World Class Tourist Destination" and we are supposed to be thankfully this bus is "allowed" to start running - give me a break. 

Pessimism is such an affliction. Oh dear!

2 hours ago, Chainsaw said:

Oh dear indeed. So no-one wanting to go to Patong, Kata or Karon from Kamala? The proposed route is ALL of the West coast! Pessimism is such an affliction. Oh dear!

 

 

It will be very interesting to see if punters can jump in at Kamala and get off in Patong. I really hope it works like proper bus service. But I fear once/if this service gets popular the taxi mafia will step in.  Let's hope it does work.

20 minutes ago, LivinginKata said:

 

It will be very interesting to see if punters can jump in at Kamala and get off in Patong. I really hope it works like proper bus service. But I fear once/if this service gets popular the taxi mafia will step in.  Let's hope it does work.

My sentiments exactly. Let's be positive.

1 hour ago, Chainsaw said:

Pessimism is such an affliction. Oh dear!

 

Don't confuse pessimism with being realistic.

 

There is a long, long history on Phuket of the transport mafia ensuring their own financial interests in the industry.  Eg. pier blockades, Patong blockade etc.

 

Even if this bus was allowed to run, unabated, and it becomes a success, the damage the transport mafia has done to the tourism industry here will not be turned around quickly.  

 

It will take a lot more buses, running a lot more routes, to bring back the tourists that got tired of paying more to dodgy tuk-tuk drivers than they did on

F & B and accommodation for their holiday here. 

1 hour ago, Chainsaw said:

My sentiments exactly. Let's be positive.

We can't have that- the Thaigeezers will be up in arms if it's a success!

 

Edit: I note that one thing everyone seems to be commenting on is about tourists. A service along the coast, without having to go into Phuket Town is a boon to locals of all ilks as well.

 

Unlike the doomsayers I believe in evolution, not revolution and harping on about events of nearly 20 years ago serves no one.