Bangkok governor faces his first setback from the City Assembly

[snoop1130]

 

Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt has been dealt his first setback by the City Assembly, when two motions regarding the Green Line electric train project were rejected on technical grounds.

 

One of the motions concerns the passenger fare for the Green Line’s two extensions, one from Mor Chit to Saphan Mai and Khu Kot in Pathum Thani province and the other from Bearing to Keha in Samut Prakan province.

 

During a recent meeting, the City Assembly agreed that the two motions should be merged before being debated and several assemblymen expressed disagreement with the motion, claiming that the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has no authority to set the passenger fares for the Green Line service. At the end of the meeting, the assembly voted for motions to be withdrawn.

 

Full Story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/bangkok-governor-faces-his-first-setback-from-the-city-assembly/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2022-10-27

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

Monthly car subscription with first-class insurance, 24x7 assistance and more in one price - click here to find out more!

[TheFishman1]

The governor of the different provinces in Thailand they make a fortune TIT

[Srikcir]

As China has discovered, these passenger light rail systems are not economically sustainable without massive government subsidies. It's current total debtis about $842 billion USD! Yet the government wants to further expand its HS rail system.

Sept. 2022

https://japan-forward.com

 

I understand that BTS Group estimated that the sustainable fare of the entire Green Line Project from start to finish is about 158 baht. BMA wants to cap it at 65 baht. 

 

Regardless of the legality of BMA setting rates subsequent to project completion, not negotiating adequate rate fares BEFORE the Line construction begins seems foolish and cause for potential contractor bankruptcy. And abandonment of the Line operation due to a bankruptcy process creates a potential double public burden: unusable transportation while continuing to pay for it.

 

Better BMA try to renegotiate a rate higher than 65 baht (100 baht?), subsidize the balance of the final rate higher than 65 baht, and suffer the political consequences. The newly elected Governor did not have any rate authority when the Extension was approved and operational. So much of any political backlash should belong to the previous Governor and his party affiliation. I give Chadchart kudos to bring Line fares affordable for the average Thai wage earner but "the horse has left the barn. " But a valuable lesson learned and should be applied to all future transportation projects including super highways and bridges!

 

Economic viability of such transportation projects was required as a matter of law. But when the 2014 military coup took over the elected government, it used its absolute power to waive economic sustainability (ie., the so-called China-Thailand HS dual rail system). It seems this debt-creating approach has permiated throughout Thai governments and effectively bypassed Thai laws. 

[kingstonkid]

The challenge is that there needs to be an agreement between the different parties involved, those of BMA and of Bangkok, about a reasonable price increase.

 

You can not run a business based on prices that are not realistic.  You can not charge the same fair from Mor Chit to Phrom Pong as you do KhuKot to Prom Phong.  

 

That would be like saying ok let's charge just the cost of going from Bangkok t Tokyo and making the Bangkok leg free.

 

The Khu Kot part of the line is busy and full on most rush hour trains.  They are doing what they wanted.  The question is if they raise that cost will it hurt the number of riders and the answer is NO.  Most of us ride the BTS for convenience.  Before it was get a van to take us to Morchit (40 baht average) and take a long crowded van ride then fight the crowd at Mor chit.

 

Getting home from Morchit to Rangsit or Victory to Rangsit was even worse time-wise and long cues for vans.

 

If the raise in price is reasonable, then people will not complain as much.   

 

What people will complain about is if the quality of the trains or the service deteriorates due to BMA not being able to provide the same care and staffing.

[khunjeff]

1 hour ago, Srikcir said:

Regardless of the legality of BMA setting rates subsequent to project completion, not negotiating adequate rate fares BEFORE the Line construction begins seems foolish and cause for potential contractor bankruptcy.

Agree totally - it's unbelievable that they would undertake a project of this cost and complexity without having figured out the pricing system in advance.

 

42 minutes ago, kingstonkid said:

You can not run a business based on prices that are not realistic.  You can not charge the same fair from Mor Chit to Phrom Pong as you do KhuKot to Prom Phong.  

Public transit systems around the world almost always have "prices that are not realistic", in the sense that fares would be unaffordable without a subsidy of some kind. Mass transit seeks to get cars off the street, provide a quick and safe way for millions of people to get to work and school, reduce pollution, etc - it's a public good, not just a business.

 

That having been said, the way they've implemented the fare system on the BTS - where prices vary wildly depending on when and by whom the particular section of track you're riding on was built - makes zero sense. The plan that Chadchart proposed, to maintain lower fares on the extensions than on the legacy network, just continues this confusing and illogical system. 

[hotchilli]

17 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

During a recent meeting, the City Assembly agreed that the two motions should be merged before being debated and several assemblymen expressed disagreement with the motion, claiming that the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has no authority to set the passenger fares for the Green Line service. At the end of the meeting, the assembly voted for motions to be withdrawn.

Too many motions for my liking.. 

[kingstonkid]

3 hours ago, khunjeff said:

Agree totally - it's unbelievable that they would undertake a project of this cost and complexity without having figured out the pricing system in advance.

 

Public transit systems around the world almost always have "prices that are not realistic", in the sense that fares would be unaffordable without a subsidy of some kind. Mass transit seeks to get cars off the street, provide a quick and safe way for millions of people to get to work and school, reduce pollution, etc - it's a public good, not just a business.

 

That having been said, the way they've implemented the fare system on the BTS - where prices vary wildly depending on when and by whom the particular section of track you're riding on was built - makes zero sense. The plan that Chadchart proposed, to maintain lower fares on the extensions than on the legacy network, just continues this confusing and illogical system. 

I understand that but as you said there should have been a pricing system set before Unfortunaltey the great one decided that he wanted to be a hero and make it free. Even though it was not his decision to make.

 

Every system has an increasing fare rate based on distance,