PM asks transport companies not to raise fares

BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on Sunday urged transportation service operators not to increase their fares following his government’s reduction of retail diesel prices by Bt2 a litre late last week.

Stressing that his government would not allow retail diesel prices to exceed Bt30 per litre, Mr. Abhisit said during his weekly television and radio address that there is no reason for transport companies to raise their fares after the government reduced retail diesel prices by Bt2 a litre and such transport operator action would put a greater burden on the public.

The government lowered collection rates to the state Oil Fund subsidy and Energy Conservation Promotion Fund by lowering retail prices for high-speed diesel by Bt2 a litre and for bio-diesel by Bt0.40 a litre on Friday.

Following the cuts, the retail prices of high-speed diesel and bio-diesel in Bangkok and neighbouring provinces are now at Bt27.69 and Bt26.49 a litre respectively.

On retail gasoline prices, Mr. Abhisit said his government would issue more measures, including excise taxes, if global prices rose again.

Oil prices in Asia increased slightly to near US$71 on Friday as investors brushed off negative US economic news and pinned their hopes on the American economy, the world’s largest crude consumer, recovering later this year.

Mr. Abhisit said his government is well prepared to solve Thailand’s oil prices problem as the funds have sufficient money to cope with the problem “until August next year and this could help lower people’s burden.”

-- TNA 2009-08-16

Hello, the poor working people can not pay more for transportation as they did not get a pay raise and the restraints on the price of diesel will not hurt their profit. People are hurt from any increase in the daily expenses the occure, and a lot of people do not make enough money to cover that increase.

Interesting when lots of those companies running inter-provincial buses are owned by families in the PTP camp

Interesting when lots of those companies running inter-provincial buses are owned by families in the PTP camp

just another in the list of concessions that needs to be thoroughly scrutinised