Penny Wise

One notes with some dismay at the apparently chronic inability of the current transport minister to 'think through' issues, such as the 4,000 bus project which he has been striving for years to have approved.

For example, the proposed e-ticketing system for the project is claimed to reduce costs by doing away with bus conductors, however for many of us it will also make Bangkok less livable than it already is by significantly slowing both traffic speed and bus services particularly. Another entirely predictable consequence would be the increase in bus drivers using their mobile phones while driving, just as passenger van drivers do now - thereby making road traffic more dangerous.

Furthermore, setting aside the question as to whether public transport should be subsidized, it is reasonable to assume that the new privately-owned orange mini buses with both a driver and a conductor on-board generate a reasonable return on investment.