BTS warns of huge fare hike unless Green Line concession extended

By The Nation

 

File photo for reference only

 

Skytrain operator Bangkok Mass Transit System (BTSC) has defended the bid to extend its Green Line concession, after criticism that the Blue Line is much cheaper by comparison. 

 

The Cabinet last week withheld approval for a 30-year extension of the concession from 2029 to 2059 after the Transport Ministry objected to the Bt65 top fare. The ministry pointed out that the MRT’s Blue Line only charges a maximum Bt48. 

 

Surapong Laoha-Unya, chief operating officer of BTSC, explained that the Green Line and Blue Line had different costs. He said that under the contract, BTS must share Bt200 billion annual revenue from the Green Line with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration.

 

He added that the Green Line charged higher fares because it was longer and had more stations than the Blue Line.   

 

"If we compare the fares with distances on the BTS Green Line and MRT Blue Line, the fare average is similar,” he added. “The Green Line is 68 kilometres long with 59 stations and a maximum fare of Bt65, while the Blue Line is 48km with 38 stations and a maximum fare of Bt42.” 

 

However, while the Blue Line was constructed by the state, BTS had to pay Bt60 billion to build the Green Line, Surapong said.

 

When combined with various debts and new investment, renewing the Green Line concession would lift the BMTA’s annual cost burden to Bt300 billion, he added.

 

Meanwhile the BMA’s own market sounding had found no companies interested in taking over the concession in 2036, when it would become available if it was not extended, he said.

 

Surapong urged renewal of the concession, saying it would allow the opening of seven more BTS stations to complete the Green Line route connecting the provinces of Bangkok, Samut Prakan and Pathum Thani.

 

Failure to renew the concession would mean the Green Line reverted to the maximum fare of Bt158, rather than Bt65 under the proposed extension contract, he said.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30398458

 

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6 hours ago, webfact said:

Failure to renew the concession would mean the Green Line reverted to the maximum fare of Bt158, rather than Bt65 under the proposed extension contract, he said.

Would like to see how many people would still use it when more expensive than taxi. Go ahead and try.

29 minutes ago, tomazbodner said:

Would like to see how many people would still use it when more expensive than taxi. Go ahead and try.

158 is still cheaper than a taxi  Last taxi to Bkk from rangist cost 250.  

 

However, 158 is almost triple what a minivan to victory would cost from the same areas

 

The issue is not so much the cost but the time it would take.  There has always been a cheaper means of transport called the bus. 

I think the government has put itself into a bad position because the BTS having to run the extra stops at no cost is going to hurt them financially as well as their equipment.

 

From a business point of view if you have said that Mor chit to On nut is 65 baht then it goes without saying that extensions especially ones as long as Khu kot to On Nut should cost more.

 

The other point is that if BTSC decides that it ca not or will not operate anymore do you  really want the government looking after the BTS.

  

 

Edited November 24, 20205 yr by kingstonkid
spelling

Starting to get interesting now, spoils are at stake here.

7 hours ago, webfact said:

Failure to renew the concession would mean the Green Line reverted to the maximum fare of Bt158, rather than Bt65 under the proposed extension contract, he said.

If two or more people are travelling a taxi is much cheaper.  The only advantage BTS has it is time taken.

13 minutes ago, lujanit said:

If two or more people are travelling a taxi is much cheaper.  The only advantage BTS has it is time taken.

Exactly. I often use a taxi if traveling with others as it works out so much cheaper. 

The problem is the Frankenstein's Monster way in which the BTS has been built and organized, with the legacy portion of the line built by the company and rationally (if not particularly economically) priced, and the extensions built by the city and grossly underpriced. The result is that there's no rhyme or reason to the fare that you pay: if you're lucky enough to only travel on the extensions you get a subsidized ride, while if you travel between legacy stations you pay the full rate. Rationalizing the fare system (ideally with point-to-point fares that include buses, boats, and other rail lines, if I can dream for a moment) would help address this whole issue.

2 hours ago, tomazbodner said:

Would like to see how many people would still use it when more expensive than taxi. Go ahead and try.

 

You reckon? How?

 

68 km by taxi in from congested Kukot to Bangkok is less than ThB 158?? No way!

 

This extension will save me money and considerable time travelling. 

 

Wish it had been completed several years ago.

 

 

42 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

 

You reckon? How?

 

68 km by taxi in from congested Kukot to Bangkok is less than ThB 158?? No way!

 

This extension will save me money and considerable time travelling. 

 

Wish it had been completed several years ago.

 

 

Awesome. Let's see how many Thais are willing to pay that.

If the starting point and destination isn't a short walk to skytrain, taxi is always the better option on overall cost.

Cost of all modes are relatively inexpensive. However, I've sat in ground transport and moved at a rate of about 1 km/hour way too many times. The BIG advantage of the rail transport is time saved.  In my years here I've learned time is apparently of no concern or cost to locals. If you're late you're late! Nobody cares... You could charge virtually any price and I'd take the rail simply to save massive amounts of time. Time is much more valuable to me the saving 5 baht on transport costs. That being said, rail operators are entitled to recover costs and make a profit. The cost of one line has no bearing whatsoever on the cost of any other line. Each line is unique!

On 11/26/2020 at 1:42 AM, paulbrow said:

Cost of all modes are relatively inexpensive. However, I've sat in ground transport and moved at a rate of about 1 km/hour way too many times. The BIG advantage of the rail transport is time saved.  In my years here I've learned time is apparently of no concern or cost to locals. If you're late you're late! Nobody cares... You could charge virtually any price and I'd take the rail simply to save massive amounts of time. Time is much more valuable to me the saving 5 baht on transport costs.

 

Time often has little or no value to many Thais. Even some foreigners will travel longer just to save a few Baht. BTS is not neccessarily cheap and if two or more travelling then a Taxi/Grab/Bolt fare can work out cheaper.