Bangkok: Thumbs Up For First Day Of Free Bus Services

[george]

Thumbs up for first day of free bus services: Songsak

BANGKOK: -- Today saw a good start of the first day of providing free bus services for Bangkok communters, Deputy Transport Minister Songsak Thongsri said on Friday.

Songsak made an inspection trip during the morning's rush hour at the Victory Monument area, one of the busiest bus transit points in the capital.

He said free services were adequate for commuter to access. Many commuters appeared satisfied and they were not choosy to wait just for the free buses, he added.

-- The Nation 2008-08-01

[Scott]

I hope it works.

[Payboy]

do you think the free buses will overtake paid buses to get more passengers in the interest of serving the public?

i'd hate to sit in one that crawls along in the leftmost lane and obeys all traffic laws....

need to spend more on red bull...

[Martin]

There is a lot of sense, and social justice, in providing a very, very basic service (third class, no aircon, stopping at every stop) that is free for all and leaving it to those who have plenty of money to pay for more comfort and speed.

I speak as one who lived in an area that was quite suddenly hit by massive job losses nearly thirty years ago. There wasn't time to do what is now being done in Bangkok, but giving free travel on showing a card that was available to the unemployed, and for their first two months in their next job, enabled a lot to go and find jobs that they otherwise wouldn't have been able to get.

Thailand is facing hard times (tourism drying up and manufacture-for-export winding down) as a result of Western recession. It is going to be important to keep up peoples' spirits to avoid recession causing depression. Having mobility (even on a rickety old bus) helps to do that.

But also Thailand needs to reduce its importation of oil, so I hope the Government increases the tax on gasoline to pay for universal, social mobility, at the same time as discouraging car use. Benz owners who drive to Bangkok from up here can have equal, aircon comfort on Chan Tours' new VIP coaches and save the country some oil imports.

[mahtin]

There is a lot of sense, and social justice, in providing a very, very basic service (third class, no aircon, stopping at every stop) that is free for all and leaving it to those who have plenty of money to pay for more comfort and speed.

I speak as one who lived in an area that was quite suddenly hit by massive job losses nearly thirty years ago. There wasn't time to do what is now being done in Bangkok, but giving free travel on showing a card that was available to the unemployed, and for their first two months in their next job, enabled a lot to go and find jobs that they otherwise wouldn't have been able to get.

Thailand is facing hard times (tourism drying up and manufacture-for-export winding down) as a result of Western recession. It is going to be important to keep up peoples' spirits to avoid recession causing depression. Having mobility (even on a rickety old bus) helps to do that.

But also Thailand needs to reduce its importation of oil, so I hope the Government increases the tax on gasoline to pay for universal, social mobility, at the same time as discouraging car use. Benz owners who drive to Bangkok from up here can have equal, aircon comfort on Chan Tours' new VIP coaches and save the country some oil imports.

Good post, mate.

[rak sa_ngop]

Just saw my first 'free' bus from the inside of a bar last night in Bangkok. On its side it had written in Thai words to the effect "free bus for the people".

As an occasional bus user I wonder if it is OK for white farangs to use these buses. Otherwise it could mean a long wait for the next fare-paying bus to come along (saving 7 baht on the fare is not the issue).

Anybody tried it yet???

[Plus]

"The number of passengers on our non-air-conditioned buses rose 10 per cent, initial reports at 11am indicated. Yesterday, there were 387,000 passengers, compared with the daily average of 350,000 before. Of those, 213,000 used the free buses, while 174,000 opted for other bus services," said Pinetr Puapatanakul, managing director of the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA)."

http://nationmultimedia.com/2008/08/02/nat...al_30079583.php

Better than Christmas.

200,000 per day for six months at 7 baht a fare - just over 200 million, peanuts.

[Khun Bob]

Are there no longer any free buses ? I know it is only the basic buses that may be free during what is considered to be commuting hours, not the air con buses.

There doesn't appear to be any indication on the front of a bus that it is free. But when I have been sitting within earshot of Thais I have heard them say the bus arriving is free, so they must know how to tell somehow.

Edited February 25, 2010 by Khun Bob

[NADTATIDA1]

Yes they still have free buses,pot luck though and for what its worth!!

[Jdietz]

Still there, large white on blue lettering at the front saying in Thai something like 'Free bus for the people' and in this case they even mean for foreigners as well...

There seem to be less free ones as before though, the same lines are serviced by paid and free buses, just luck of the draw which one will come next.

Or if you have a spare hour and don't need to go anywhere let a couple pass by until you see a free one, if your time is worth less then 8 Baht an hour, go for it.

[Khun Bob]

Thanks for both the replies...

Jdietz - Yesterday (and many other days) I've looked at the front of the bus and if the route is the regular route it will have a blue board with white lettering on, stating the bus no and the destination on the left hand side (ie not on the drivers side) of the wind screen. If the destination is diffrent from typical then a red board will be used (me thinks). In all the times I have travelled on free buses I dont recall seeing an additional board at the front saying it is free, but there must be something there as Thai's I have overheard have said the bus arriving is free. This is why I am totally intrigued as to how they knew - I couldnt see anything stating it is free and I can read Thai (very slowly admittedly).

You both seem to be confirming what I have experienced here in NgamWongWan too is that there is less free buses now.

Next time I'm on a longish journey, I'll try to find out from the ticket person what the situation is...

Last time I asked where all the green buses had gone to be told they had been replaced by orange buses. Then a few minutes later the driver was extatic to see a green bus. When I asked the ticket guy about this he didnt know why - just seemed kind of ironic to me. I like the metal seat at the back of the orange buses... And they have the padding you can sit on at the fron too, just like the old green buses.

[Guest]

These buses have a big sticker on the back window "Free Bus from Citizens Taxes".