MRTA board meet to discuss lowering fares on newly opened Purple Line

[webfact]

MRTA board meet to discuss lowering fares on newly opened Purple Line

 

Image: Thairath

 

BANGKOK: -- The MRTA board are to meet urgently this afternoon (Wednesday) to discuss lowering fares on the Purple Line train.

 

The service was opened on August 6th and MRTA chairman Yortyut Bunyathikarn said that measures are needed to encourage more passenger use, reported Thairath.

 

Also people parking at the stations on the route from the Bang Bua Thong area into the city can expect to pay less as well as expected adjustments in the cost of transferring by train and bus to other city networks.

 

There are a number of proposals under consideration including reducing fares by as much as 40%, introducing a flat rate of as little as 10 baht and charging 50% less for connections. The proposals will be thrashed out this afternoon and announced later today.

 

Furthermore the charge for parking will likely come down - it currently costs 10 baht per two hours to park at the stations.

 

The line has also experienced problems of trains not stopping in exactly the right place in front of doors allowing entry and exit.

 

Yortyut said that this was a minor problem to do with the software on the automatic system and that a manual system may be introduced to solve the problem in the short term.

 

He added that any changes to operating procedures would only be made if safety was not compromised in any way.

 

Source: Thairath

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2016-08-24

[canopus1969]

Desperation setting in 

[snooky]

Possibly a direct connection to the present subway  line might help, or am I being too presumptive in my thinking that it might have been a consideration in the original planning?

[Alive]

Why was this rushed or was it? Was it originally supposed to be done the year prior? Purple has special meaning and of course you know about the red carpet opening. Projects with so much spending should be much better planned out.

[tifino]

 

oh! In all probabilities, some brother-in-law effect...

[Eric Loh]

Rail connection only possible now with Prayut waving his 44 magic wand to acquire all the land that previous governments could not do. Without the rail link, the fare reductions will have minimal effort on commuter increases. Shaving time and low fares are reasons for low users. 

[Caps]

Went out on it today, 42 baht from Tao Poon to Khlong Bang Phai, end of the line as it is now, 15/16 stops so not too bad a price I didn't think.

Took MRT to Bang Sue then there is a free bus to Tao Poon.  Can't understand why they didn't extend the MRT Blue Line one more stop while they were at it!

[Dunky]

They are only acting like this as their attempts at price gouging have failed. What is the point of using the service if it does not connect directly with the MRT? I have been waiting for this to open since 2013 and this is how this supposedly important rail link is delivered. Why am I not surprised?! I will stick to the bike for now thanks. 

[fish monger]

It's always act first, think later....

[Mister Fixit]

I tried to go on it last week.  My nearest stop is Nonthaburi City Hall, but there isn't any parking there, so went to Central Rattanathibet, where a large car park has been built.

 

Guess what?  It still isn't open ...  It's still all cordoned off and there's no way in, so no commuter parking.  Joined up thinking, or what?

[bangon04]

They could just have free travel until the next available official opening date - December 5th.

[Jimbo2014]

Give it time - its a great service - and they havnt even started tripple pricing farang yet 

[MaxLee]

Is that the reason, why we have to wait a long time during rush hour at stations like Asoke and Sukhumvit Line for the last 2 days???

[new2here]

A few of my Thai colleagues live near the end of the line (Bag Yai area) and have said that if the parking prices were to come down that the deal would be a hard to beat proposal.
But, with the current parking prices, and the fact that they work a full 9hr+/- day, there's just not enough savings.
I think this might be a better deal for those that don't have to make the train-bus-train connection at Bang Sue, for the convenience factor. But if you're not parking a car, then I think it's a good overall deal (absent the lack of true connectivity)


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[impulse]

Screw the discounts.  Pay the guys at Pokemon a few baht put more of them (whatever they are- I'm a little unclear to be honest) on the line.

 

The carriages will be packed.