Phuket Smart Bus launches in style

[snoop1130]

Phuket Smart Bus launches in style

Shela Riva

 

 

PHUKET:-- Ministry of Tourism and Sports Permanent Secretary Pongpanu Svetaroon joined Phuket Governor Norraphat Plodthong at the launch ceremony for the new Phuket Smart Bus today (Feb 28), with 10 buses ready to serve the company’s first bus route, from Phuket International Airport to Rawai via the west coast.

 

The ceremony was held in front of the office of bus operator Phuket Smart Bus Co Ltd (PKSB), an affiliate of the Phuket City Development (PKCD) Group, at Central Festival East shopping mall.

 

PKCD Executive Director Watchara Jaru-ariyanon in his opening speech outlined the features of the bus, and its role in the fast-paced increase of Phuket’s tourism arrival numbers.

 

Full Story: https://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-smart-bus-launches-in-style-66152.php#RJr6L2rqjBmvRqLW.97

 

-- © Copyright Phuket News 2018-2-28

[the guest]

Waste of time, start investing in a proper BTS, and rail system to solve the Island's misery of relying solely on an already 'full to the brim' road system.

[chub]

This report is not very complete. It doesn't tell you that you can see the route and the location of bus stops on website "choop.me" and https://phuket.cloud/bus/   on mobile phone or computer. This app shows the real-time location of each bus on the route. Right now there are five buses on the system. The first bus is heading south from the airport and is near Surin. Soon it will enter the tuk-tuk taxi mafia heartland of Patong and Karon!

 

[toofarnorth]

Which one in the pic is the smart driver , there must be one somewhere .

[Old Croc]

1 minute ago, toofarnorth said:

Which one in the pic is the smart driver , there must be one somewhere .

He's the one who arrives at Rawai unscathed.

[Somtamnication]

The buses have not moved in ages on the map. 

[Psimbo]

One went past before - I hate to spoil the doom-sayers fun but it wasn't on fire. 

[Psimbo]

13 hours ago, the guest said:

Waste of time, start investing in a proper BTS, and rail system to solve the Island's misery of relying solely on an already 'full to the brim' road system.

You really are a little ray of sunshine aren't you. Some people can't stand ANY vestige of progress if it doesn't suit their agenda. I take it you are a 'non-island' commentator?

 

BTS and rail- what planet do you live on? The proposed rail system will not serve the West of the island even if it ever happens.

[madmitch]

1 hour ago, Somtamnication said:

The buses have not moved in ages on the map. 

Stuck in traffic!

 

I thought it might be just me but obviously not. Two off route, one at the Thalang traffic lights and another at the airport. 

[Srikcir]

18 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Smart Bus

The Phuket City Development Group teamed up with Loxley Co Ltd to provide these buses.  https://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-to-test-new-smart-bus-prototype-this-month-64564.php#GE6WvZZbdfrS0LUf.97

 Loxley Plc. has gone into partnership with global green tech leader BYD Co. Ltd. to launch the first Electrified Transportation scheme in Thailand including electric buses. 

http://byd.com/news/news-276.html

BYD Co Ltd is a Chinese manufacturer of automobiles, buses, forklifts, rechargeable batteries, trucks, etc with its corporate headquarters in Shenzhen.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BYD_Company

Loxley Plc. became Loxley Co Ltd in 1957 and then a Public Company in 1993. http://www.loxley.co.th/profile.html

At the end score for China and Singapore investors for Thailand's business. Also score for  Phuket to Very Smart pollution free buses.

[Guest]

6 hours ago, chub said:

This report is not very complete. It doesn't tell you that you can see the route and the location of bus stops on website "choop.me" and https://phuket.cloud/bus/   on mobile phone or computer. This app shows the real-time location of each bus on the route. Right now there are five buses on the system. The first bus is heading south from the airport and is near Surin. Soon it will enter the tuk-tuk taxi mafia heartland of Patong and Karon!

 

Phuket.cloud website needs a bit of alpha testing before it's released to the public.

 

[ChrisY1]

I'll be surprised if there aren't any broken windscreens within the month.

[Old Croc]

8 hours ago, oilinki said:

Phuket.cloud website needs a bit of alpha testing before it's released to the public.

 

You have to turn your Windows Location on to get rid of that message.

 

It will then reveal your location to every website on the planet that feel the need to know exactly where you are!

[Lokie]

Another bus service from the airport launched again... Are these the same buses from a few years back that launched and within a few weeks basically the service was inoperative safely from the constraints and threats made by certain Taxi owners associations? Only allowed to stop at odd places, you could not get on at certain places etc... Good luck with this service, will be another Non-Runner given time

[stevenl]

3 hours ago, Lokie said:

Another bus service from the airport launched again... Are these the same buses from a few years back that launched and within a few weeks basically the service was inoperative safely from the constraints and threats made by certain Taxi owners associations? Only allowed to stop at odd places, you could not get on at certain places etc... Good luck with this service, will be another Non-Runner given time

Sad attitude.

[Srikcir]

4 hours ago, Lokie said:

Are these the same buses from a few years back

No.

I saw no indication of such in my research, see my post #10. Given the electronic enhancements and electric drive by BYD, I don't believe they're the same. Bangkok began last year to put 200 imported electric buses on the streets that were designed and manufactured by BYD.

[Lokie]

4 hours ago, stevenl said:

Sad attitude.

Not really, as I said I wish the service good luck but unfortunately it will turn out to be another Non-runner I fear - You want to talk about sad attitudes maybe ask a few questions of the powers that be, not have a go at someone who has merely highlighted the last time a service was attempted same, or you don't remember that then?

[madmitch]

8 hours ago, Lokie said:

Not really, as I said I wish the service good luck but unfortunately it will turn out to be another Non-runner I fear - You want to talk about sad attitudes maybe ask a few questions of the powers that be, not have a go at someone who has merely highlighted the last time a service was attempted same, or you don't remember that then?

The airport bus to Patong wasn't exactly successful but it wasn't attacked by the tuktuks either. It may even still be running; anyone know? And the Karon tuktuk drivers threatened action if it were to be extended to there. I haven't read of any such threats this time.

 

And were you here when the last attempted bus service between the beaches was tried, where the driver was beaten up? If you were can you please let us know which year this was as it was well before my arrival in 2004.

[xylophone]

3 hours ago, madmitch said:

The airport bus to Patong wasn't exactly successful but it wasn't attacked by the tuktuks either.

Not overtly so mm, however I have it on good authority from a few folks here that threats were aimed at the operators and the drivers.

 

There was a pickup point/small office just opposite the B-Quik repair centre in Patong, however that was rarely open and suffered from a graffiti attack.

 

Haven't seen it operating of late and not only that, if you recall, the parking space that this bus service was allocated at the airport was around the corner and just about hidden from view.........not the best place if one was trying to operate a service as the "powers that be" would have you believe, but then again if it had been successful it could well have reduced the amount of cash flowing into their coffers, if you see what I mean.

[chub]

Below are some extracts from the response by the Airport Express company to a Question in the Phuket News of 20 September 2016 "Is the Phuket Airport Bus Still Running to Patong".

The company claims it doesn't have a website or email address and its office cannot be found!  They emphasise that no passengers may be picked up en route, (especially between Patong and Karon/Kata!). This company is clearly trying to deter passengers from using its service. I have never seen this bus in Karon or Kata. 

Extracts follow. The italics are mine.

-------------------------------------------

"We launched the Airport Bus Express to Patong several years ago and later slowly expanded our service to include Kata and Karon. The fare to Patong is currently B150 and to Kata and Karon is B200. Tickets can be bought from the driver. (Edit: The fare to Kata and Karon is exactly the same as the Airport Minibus service operated by the same operator.) Our buses are cream-coloured with blue stripes. There is another bus service called “Airport Bus” that uses orange buses. These buses go to Phuket Town. If you take this bus, you will need to catch another bus in Phuket Town to take you to Patong. Please note that the bus will depart once it is full. Don’t worry, though, as we have buses departing Phuket Airport every hour. If you are in a hurry, it may be best to take a taxi from the airport. We advise the same to people who are carrying a lot of luggage with them. When you get on the bus, you must tell the driver where your hotel is. The driver will drop you off at your hotel if possible. However, if your hotel is on a steep hill that our bus will not be able to climb, we will ask you to travel in one of our minivans for convenience and safety. Don’t worry, the fare is the same. Passengers can get off the bus (or minivan) at several locations en route to Patong, Kata and Karon. However, the bus or van will not pick up any passengers en route. In Patong, we use Jungceylon as our main “terminal” for buses returning to Phuket Airport. If you want to use our service from Kata or Karon, please call us and we will pick you up. Likewise, if you are staying in Patong, just call us and we will pick you up if we can. Unfortunately, our website is no longer operating and our company currently does not have a contact email address, so it is best to contact us directly for the latest information. For more details or to book tickets in advance, or call us at 076-328291 or 084-0652122. Our main office is near the Bangkok Bank branch on Phang Muang Sai Kor Rd in Patong, near Nanai Soi 8,but many foreigners have trouble finding our office, so I strongly recommend you just call us." – Nikorn Petcharat, Manager, Airport Express Bu

[LivinginKata]

4 hours ago, xylophone said:

Not overtly so mm, however I have it on good authority from a few folks here that threats were aimed at the operators and the drivers.

 

There was a pickup point/small office just opposite the B-Quik repair centre in Patong, however that was rarely open and suffered from a graffiti attack.

 

Haven't seen it operating of late and not only that, if you recall, the parking space that this bus service was allocated at the airport was around the corner and just about hidden from view.........not the best place if one was trying to operate a service as the "powers that be" would have you believe, but then again if it had been successful it could well have reduced the amount of cash flowing into their coffers, if you see what I mean.

 

Plus those buses were very very old and very tired looking despite the bight new paint job.

 

I saw one on a rare occasion in Patong, even one rare time in Kata. That was many many months ago. 

[xylophone]

4 hours ago, chub said:

Below are some extracts from the response by the Airport Express company to a Question in the Phuket News of 20 September 2016 "Is the Phuket Airport Bus Still Running to Patong".

The company claims it doesn't have a website or email address and its office cannot be found!  They emphasise that no passengers may be picked up en route, (especially between Patong and Karon/Kata!). This company is clearly trying to deter passengers from using its service. I have never seen this bus in Karon or Kata. 

Extracts follow. The italics are mine.

-------------------------------------------

"We launched the Airport Bus Express to Patong several years ago and later slowly expanded our service to include Kata and Karon. The fare to Patong is currently B150 and to Kata and Karon is B200. Tickets can be bought from the driver. (Edit: The fare to Kata and Karon is exactly the same as the Airport Minibus service operated by the same operator.) Our buses are cream-coloured with blue stripes. There is another bus service called “Airport Bus” that uses orange buses. These buses go to Phuket Town. If you take this bus, you will need to catch another bus in Phuket Town to take you to Patong. Please note that the bus will depart once it is full. Don’t worry, though, as we have buses departing Phuket Airport every hour. If you are in a hurry, it may be best to take a taxi from the airport. We advise the same to people who are carrying a lot of luggage with them. When you get on the bus, you must tell the driver where your hotel is. The driver will drop you off at your hotel if possible. However, if your hotel is on a steep hill that our bus will not be able to climb, we will ask you to travel in one of our minivans for convenience and safety. Don’t worry, the fare is the same. Passengers can get off the bus (or minivan) at several locations en route to Patong, Kata and Karon. However, the bus or van will not pick up any passengers en route. In Patong, we use Jungceylon as our main “terminal” for buses returning to Phuket Airport. If you want to use our service from Kata or Karon, please call us and we will pick you up. Likewise, if you are staying in Patong, just call us and we will pick you up if we can. Unfortunately, our website is no longer operating and our company currently does not have a contact email address, so it is best to contact us directly for the latest information. For more details or to book tickets in advance, or call us at 076-328291 or 084-0652122. Our main office is near the Bangkok Bank branch on Phang Muang Sai Kor Rd in Patong, near Nanai Soi 8,but many foreigners have trouble finding our office, so I strongly recommend you just call us." – Nikorn Petcharat, Manager, Airport Express Bu

Reading that, I get the impression that somebody never wanted this service to work!

 

So it could well have been a service which was supposedly set up to provide cheap and good transport for tourists and possibly locals (appeasing those who complained and that the hierarchy were doing something about the problem), but which would have cut into the mafias and the brown envelopes if it had worked, so it wasn't supposed to.

[steelepulse]

I happened to be on the west coast yesterday and saw busses passing by in both directions.  Didn't see too many punters on board, but it is early days.

[Lokie]

11 hours ago, madmitch said:

The airport bus to Patong wasn't exactly successful but it wasn't attacked by the tuktuks either. It may even still be running; anyone know? And the Karon tuktuk drivers threatened action if it were to be extended to there. I haven't read of any such threats this time.

 

And were you here when the last attempted bus service between the beaches was tried, where the driver was beaten up? If you were can you please let us know which year this was as it was well before my arrival in 2004.

I only started coming to Patong 2007 so a relative noob.

 

As a few recent posts re the last service; I only knew one person and his Thai GF who used the service once and said it was ok but no one else was on it (that was Airport to Patong, stop near Bannsan junction area back then) but at the time forces aspired to ensure the service would be inoperable, it could not pick up along the route and drop off anywhere you would really want stops.

 

I remember there was enough posts and discussion on TVF about it the slant being that patong Tuks were basically ok with it but Karon/Kata were having none of it and threats made to that effect. Seems a few above may not have been around then or have poor memories?

 

 

[LivinginKata]

17 minutes ago, Lokie said:

I only started coming to Patong 2007 so a relative noob.

 

As a few recent posts re the last service; I only knew one person and his Thai GF who used the service once and said it was ok but no one else was on it (that was Airport to Patong, stop near Bannsan junction area back then) but at the time forces aspired to ensure the service would be inoperable, it could not pick up along the route and drop off anywhere you would really want stops.

 

I remember there was enough posts and discussion on TVF about it the slant being that patong Tuks were basically ok with it but Karon/Kata were having none of it and threats made to that effect. Seems a few above may not have been around then or have poor memories?

 

 

 

Good post.  That previous bus service was doomed to fail. This new 'smart'  service has a hint of success. Just get the GPS tracker working ...

[madmitch]

11 hours ago, Lokie said:

I only started coming to Patong 2007 so a relative noob.

 

As a few recent posts re the last service; I only knew one person and his Thai GF who used the service once and said it was ok but no one else was on it (that was Airport to Patong, stop near Bannsan junction area back then) but at the time forces aspired to ensure the service would be inoperable, it could not pick up along the route and drop off anywhere you would really want stops.

 

I remember there was enough posts and discussion on TVF about it the slant being that patong Tuks were basically ok with it but Karon/Kata were having none of it and threats made to that effect. Seems a few above may not have been around then or have poor memories?

 

 

This new bus does seem to have been launched with a bit more of a fanfare than the last time but it's possibly no coincidence that there are still a very limited number of stops and I'd guess no pickups/dropoffs away from the stops, however more have been promised.

 

With a bit of thought the tuktuks should be able to use this to their advantage! 

[madmitch]

I was about to suggest the new bus service to someone but looking at the map I'm not so sure. There are currently two buses actually on the route, both travelling between Kata and Rawai, three somewhere near Makham Bay (maybe they've been commandeered by a cruise ship) and five at Homeworks, where perhaps the authorities are showing off they nice new buses to meeting attendees.

 

It could of course be that the trackers aren't fitted to the buses yet, instead sitting in an office or two but unfortunately the Smart bus system doesn't appear too smart at the moment. 

 

But it's early days.

[LivinginKata]

3 hours ago, madmitch said:

I was about to suggest the new bus service to someone but looking at the map I'm not so sure. There are currently two buses actually on the route, both travelling between Kata and Rawai, three somewhere near Makham Bay (maybe they've been commandeered by a cruise ship) and five at Homeworks, where perhaps the authorities are showing off they nice new buses to meeting attendees.

 

It could of course be that the trackers aren't fitted to the buses yet, instead sitting in an office or two but unfortunately the Smart bus system doesn't appear too smart at the moment. 

 

But it's early days.

 

Yes... 5 near Central.  Are these managers really serious about a real bus service ...

 

Promise 9 in service all the time ... tracker never shows that ..

[Guest]

I think the location on the map has been stationary since the service started -> it's not working.

Here is today's screenshot

[LivinginKata]

29 minutes ago, oilinki said:

I think the location on the map has been stationary since the service started -> it's not working.

Here is today's screenshot

 

 

Not sure that I agree with that. Looked like it was working with a very limited number of buses. At best I counted 5 buses on the route. But now it's just one stuck in Kata.