Night Bus Kata-Kamala

[schlog]

Looks like we have a new night bus service on the west coast.

[madmitch]

NKM, they are listening!!!

[NamKangMan]

37 minutes ago, madmitch said:

NKM, they are listening!!!

 

"NKM, they are listening!!!" - whilst I applaud ANY improvement to the woeful transport situation here, sadly, it's too little, too late.

 

The majority of tourists here now have a coach bus included in their holiday package.  What does that say for lack of proper public transport here, and how it has gone a long way to changing the tourist demographic on Phuket????

 

That said, if one drunk tourist, or expat, uses this service, and saves his own life, or that of another road user, then it's a good thing, however, at a 150 baht, the locals will not use it, so it's still a long way behind the Pattaya baht bus system, which is used by all, and moves hundreds of thousands of people around the city and beaches, 24/7.

 

 

[stuarty]

Any improvement in terms of options is welcome. Not that cheap. For 3 or 4 passengers, probably cheaper and more convenient to get a taxi door to door.

[phuketrichard]

if it is anything like the smart bus it wont last,

have used the smart bus 4 times, back and forth to the airport from kamala.

2 times i was the only one on the bus

once there were 3 of us, once 4

[NamKangMan]

20 minutes ago, phuketrichard said:

if it is anything like the smart bus it wont last,

have used the smart bus 4 times, back and forth to the airport from kamala.

2 times i was the only one on the bus

once there were 3 of us, once 4

 

As I have stated, in my opinion, it's too little, too late.

 

It would take a major change across the transport industry here to lure back the independent western tourist market. 

[Psimbo]

3 hours ago, phuketrichard said:

if it is anything like the smart bus it wont last,

have used the smart bus 4 times, back and forth to the airport from kamala.

2 times i was the only one on the bus

once there were 3 of us, once 4

I disagree- I see it getting busier by the week. At least six people were waiting for it in kamala the other day.

[Psimbo]

4 hours ago, madmitch said:

NKM, they are listening!!!

Don't encourage him- he'll only have something negative to say (or mention Baht Busses ????).

[LivinginKata]

5 hours ago, phuketrichard said:

if it is anything like the smart bus it wont last,

have used the smart bus 4 times, back and forth to the airport from kamala.

2 times i was the only one on the bus

once there were 3 of us, once 4

 

I see the bus often on the Patong/Kata segment. Looking much busier these past few weeks. Could see heads at window all rows on side I could see.

[NamKangMan]

1 hour ago, Psimbo said:

Don't encourage him- he'll only have something negative to say (or mention Baht Busses ????).

 

I did say I applaud ANY improvement to the transport situation here, but see all those big coach buses, with the majority of tourists coming to Phuket inside them, does that not tend to indicate that this bus service has come too late to service independent western tourists? 

 

I don't see that as a negative comment, because I have said this is an improvement, but it falls way short of luring back a segment of the tourist market that Phuket has lost, and in my opinion, the transport situation here went a long way to the loss of that market segment.

 

As for your comment about Pattaya baht buses, do you deny they are a success in Pattaya????

 

[phuketrichard]

19 hours ago, Psimbo said:

I disagree- I see it getting busier by the week. At least six people were waiting for it in kamala the other day.

how do u now they were waiting for the smart bus? same stop as the local Songthaew to phuket town

[Psimbo]

On 11/17/2018 at 9:27 AM, phuketrichard said:

how do u now they were waiting for the smart bus? same stop as the local Songthaew to phuket town

Err, because they were stood at the side of the road with suitcases looking at their phones, nowhere near the bus shelters (one group across from the Aussie Pub, another outside Big C). Then just before the smart bus arrived they put the phones away and reached for their bags. On arrival of the smart bus they flagged it down and got on it. It doesn't get clearer than that.

 

Just for the naysayers I decided to have a look at a couple of buses when out walking on friday. A northbound bus had at least 12 pax, and a southbound at least 16.