BMTA requires bidders sign agreement on merit-making business before announcing bid winner

BANGKOK: -- The Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) is ready to put forward a merit making lease agreement to private operators for the supply of new NGV-fuelled buses on March 6 to service in Bangkok.

BMTA acting director Pranee Sukrasorn stated Friday that the private operators are scheduled to submit their bids and conditions to the BMTA for consideration on March 6 for the leasing of the first lot of 489 NGV (natural gas for vehicle) buses.

During the submission date, she said she will require them to agree to signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on merit-making business before the results of the bids are made public on March 23.

She stated that she was confident that the MOU on merit will not have any dire effects on other operators that will not participate in the bidding process.

She explained that the benefits of having such an agreement far out-weight any imagined pitfalls for operators who are willing to sign the agreement.

The BMTA is confident that the bidding process will be completed in time for the first lot of buses to become operational in June of this year.

With regards to the opposition from the BMTA Union on the proposal for the Land Transport Department to look after the reorganizing of the existing 190 routes for pooled bus operators put forward by the State Enterprise Policy Committee, she said the management agreed with the policy.

They were confident that the new policy will ensure greater control as well as ensuring the highest quality of service for bus users, she said.

Source: http://englishnews.t...cing-bid-winner

-- Thai PBS 2015-02-21

Please can someone explain what on earth they are talking about, with regards specifically to bidding on busses and merit making. Have I completely lost the plot in that I can see a great many reasons to focus on the commercial and service aspects of this bidding process and for zero any for personal superstition and customs.

Bus routes in BKK are crazy look at the sheer number of busses that traverse the same lengths of road only to split and go cross country to somewhere. Why the busses haven't been broken up into trunk zone to zone direct express routes in order to shift higher number between fewer locations and get the luxury of then utilizing this to streamline the traffic situation for the buses.

Yeah it probably means people need to change busses but I dont see the advantage of huge numbers of busses plying the same routes since they cannot pickup all passengers they pass. Its insanity.

What a load of <deleted> ... seriously just when you think they couldn't be any more stupid they come out with this. Merit Making ... ask the monk who just fleeced his own temple out of 700m and then pull your head out your ass and get a life.

merit-making business?

Will Buddhist monks be collecting a portion of the fares as merit or what? If it was to put monks in as bus drivers, that would have some merit as actually making a contribution to society.

Well, what can anyone say, these people are the so called "elite", give me the often called "buffalo" of Issan.

i ride the busses on lad phrao road often, quite an experience. get on and ask conducter if bus is going to mo-chit bts shakes head yes. bus does not go to bts, but turns to go back on lad phrao rd. what is up with all the buses that do not follow the route that they are supposed to. blue signs- red signs in front windows, where does the bus go?

if any one can help, would be appreciated. some of the buses are not fit for road use. broken springs, loose steering, bad vibrations and even worse DRIVERS.

I thought when you bid for bus route that's it??? Merit - <deleted> - just use bus company that has good vehicles, drivers not overworked or incapable and use them!!!!! No tea money but as everything in LOS - no greasing of palms not a chance

6 March? 26 days too early, surely?

Anyone know the content of the "Merit Business Contract"???

Is it just free seats for Monks, first row inside back door priority for Monks, seats for pregnant women, elderly and infirm?

Or does it extend as far as not jerking off whilst the elderly and infirm are only halfway to the door, or on the second step???

Whoa @wirat69 what busses u catching??

I think it's a translation error.