Bangkok’s electric train flat fare drops to 20 baht, ridership soars by 90%

[webfact]

 

A surge of nearly 90% in ridership was recorded on Bangkok’s Red and Purple electric train lines this Monday, following the introduction of a 20-baht flat fare. 

 

The Department of Rail Transport (DRT) source revealed that the number of passengers on both lines escalated to 94,446 on Monday, marking an 86% increase from the previous day.

 

The 20-baht flat fare was introduced by the Transport Ministry on the Purple and Red lines with the intention of easing the cost of living for Bangkok residents and mitigating air pollution levels in the city. Success in this trial could lead to the flat fare being extended to other electric train routes.

 

The flat fare is only applicable to trips costing over 20 baht, while shorter journeys that cost less than 20 baht will still be billed at their actual fare.

 

by Mitch Connor

Photo: The Nation Thailand

 

Full story: The Thaiger 2023-10-18

 

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[bamnutsak]

Additional ridership is awesome, but you can't make up for a loss with volume.

 

So who will absorb/pay the eventual losses?

 

More debt, somewhere, lurking.

 

 

BTSC now owed ฿98Bn from BMA for the Green Line train project

 

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s (BMA) debt to Bangkok Mass Transit System Company (BTSC), for the engineering and maintenance (E&M) and operating and maintenance (O&M) costs for the first and second extensions of the Green Line sky train service, has now ballooned to about 98 billion baht, according to a study commissioned by the city council.

 

https://www.thaipbsworld.com/btsc-now-owed-฿98bn-from-bma-for-the-green-line-train-project/#:~:text=The BMA and Krungthep Thanakom,O%26M costs into separate contracts.

 

 

 

BMA ready to pay debt related to Green Line extensions

 

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is ready to pay off the debt for the BTS Skytrain Green Line extensions, and is preparing to pay the first installment of the 22 billion baht owed.

 

https://www.nationthailand.com/business/corporate/40031936

[bob smith]

Keep it at 20 baht for the next 5 years and you may just begin to solve the traffic and pollution chaos in BKK.

[Peabody]

Ridership is up on Monday compared to Sunday? Is that news?