Bangkok subway: MRT fares to be capped

[webfact]

SUBWAY
MRT fares to be capped
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- TRANSPORT MINISTER Air Chief Marshall Prajin Juntong plans to again ask Bangkok Metro, operator of MRT subway (Blue Line)'s Bang Sue-Hua Lamphong section, to defer an increase in ticket fares by Bt1-2 per section until December.

The move came after a three-month extension period for lifting ticket fares, previously asked for by the ministry, ends on October 2. (The ministry previously asked the operator to defer the increase of the MRT ticket fares from July 3 to October 2.)

Currently, MRT fare rates range from Bt15 to Bt40 per person - and the new fares will cost from Bt16 to Bt42.

Prajin spoke to reporters during his visit to the site of the extension of the Blue Line's second contract at Itsaraphap Station. A holy-object worship and merit-making ceremony was held yesterday to mark the start of boring the tunnel under the Chao Phraya River.

Prajin said the ministry would discuss with the MRT subway operator next Saturday about deferring the next rise in MRT ticket prices. On the same day, the Transport Ministry will meet with all operators to discuss any proposed increase in ticket fares on electric mass-transit trains for the whole system.

"But, if the operator does not agree on that, the ministry will try to negotiate with it to bring down ticket fares as much as possible," Prajin said.

In regard to progress on construction of the Purple Line Bang Yai-Bang Sue route, Prajin said it was now 99.75 per cent complete and expected to open service in the first quarter of 2016. Previously, the Purple Line planned to open service by the last quarter of 2016.

Meanwhile, he said construction of the extension of the Blue Line from Bang Sue-Tha Phra and Bang Khae-Hua Lamphong was 63.7 per cent complete, 0.6 per cent faster than scheduled. As part of the Blue Line will run under the river, it may not be easy to speed up and finish construction quicker than the expected date of 2016.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/MRT-fares-to-be-capped-30243799.html


-- The Nation 2014-09-22

[nzvic]

LOVE THE MRT - kind Thai usually offers me their seat as I'm obviously in 70's! Think the Thais are fantastic to allsow me half-fare rides too.

[bushwacker]

Good news .... keep the rates low.

[Searat7]

I say give them their increase....it's wrong for government to keep asking them to delay increases which are due by contract. At least the MRT and BTS trains are being maintained with no service breaks...unlike the SRT run Airport Link which is only a few years old.

[mike324]

I say give them their increase....it's wrong for government to keep asking them to delay increases which are due by contract. At least the MRT and BTS trains are being maintained with no service breaks...unlike the SRT run Airport Link which is only a few years old.

most low income can't afford to take the BTS because it costs too much for them, hence the streets will continue to be clogged with inefficient and polluting buses

[Halion]

From my perspective both the MRT/BTS fares should be subsidized as they are already rather expensive and the provision of this service was as a direct result of Governments failure to provide adequate provisions for public commuting on their pathetic road network.

The MRT/BTS are indeed efficient and well maintained operations by national standards, however, they are also highly profitable to the developers developers and owners/operators.

[Searat7]

I don't believe the MRT is nearly as profitable as the BTS. The BTS has expanded and has all the advertising revenue from the sides of trains too. Maybe there should be a subsidy but I think it is unethical for the government to request and accept a three month delay for contractual price increases and then come back and do the same thing 3 months later. It's not like Thailand is experiencing a natural disaster like the floods 3 yr ago. Maybe there would be some economies of scale to let one of these well run companies manage the Airport Link.

[JacChang]

+1 for subsidy.

It's a business, and it's well maintained and an efficient contribution to society that should be praised. Not the other way around. If poor people can't afford it, it's the government's problem, not the business's problem. The government should pay for any amount, it feels is expensive, allowing the business to take the revenue it desires, and the people paying what they desire. Restricting the revenue of the business, will result in the downgrade of the business. The quality will fall, maintenance will drop, and so on. Shareholders will also see this business as a dead end with no growth, and will look elsewhere for investment opportunities. Next shareholder meeting?= let's not improve the business = reduce costs = paints falling off walls = dimmer lights = less employees = long waiting lines, who cares =