Fix, don't kill BRT bus service commuters plead

By Asaree Thaitrakulpanich, Staff Reporter

 

  

Kamhaeng and Nantana Lhorketsuwan on the BRT Tuesday morning.

 

BANGKOK — In sandals and socks, Kamhaeng Lhorketsuwan, and his front backpack-wearing wife Nantana Lhorketsuwan, swiped their free senior passes to enter BRT Thanon Chan on Tuesday morning for a swift ride over to Sathon Road, where they would transfer to the BTS Skytrain.

 

What is almost a daily ritual for them today was fraught with worry at news the bus rapid transit system would close for good by the end of April.

 

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/transpo/2017/02/07/fix-dont-kill-brt-service-commuters-plead/

 

-- © Copyright Khaosod English 2017-02-08

Closing public transpoert systems in BKK seems to defy all logic - imagine the increase in private traffic this will cause on those routes.

 

The concept that public transport should "make a profit" is fundamentally flawed.

The benefits of a good public transport system are not measured on a simple balance sheet, it is the benefits they bring to the city and businesses - employess getting to work, better environment, less land for car parks etc etc...

1 hour ago, Alan Deer said:

Closing public transpoert systems in BKK seems to defy all logic - imagine the increase in private traffic this will cause on those routes.

 

The concept that public transport should "make a profit" is fundamentally flawed.

The benefits of a good public transport system are not measured on a simple balance sheet, it is the benefits they bring to the city and businesses - employess getting to work, better environment, less land for car parks etc etc...

That concept that people should get things for free or subsidized by other people is fundamentally flawed. User pays is the only fair solution. People and Businesses will adapt as they always have

 

If they raised fairs and charged school kids and charged the elderly, they could possibly get closer to breaking even.   Also, do a market analysis as to why the ridership is down.  Sounds like there is a chance it could be fixed.

1 hour ago, Time Traveller said:

That concept that people should get things for free or subsidized by other people is fundamentally flawed. User pays is the only fair solution. People and Businesses will adapt as they always have

 

I am not sure I agree. If having subsidized public transport means fewer cars on the road, everyone benefits. Less pollution and reduced traffic congestion are two obvious examples of how. Obviously there has to be a reasonable cost vs. benefit ratio.

BMA has a shortage of funds, its priority is to pay MRTA B3.5Billion to take over the Green Line North and South extensions so that they can place an O & M contract with BTS Group. The current 7 year O & M contract with BTS to operate the BRT ends in April and therefore they will divert these funds to allow the Green Line extension via Samrong and Samut Prakarn to open station by station from April this year onwards. In any case, the BRT will be replaced by the Grey Line Monorail South which will be rerouted along the current BRT guide ways so the BRT has to be closed to allow construction to commence later this year.

1 hour ago, Time Traveller said:

That concept that people should get things for free or subsidized by other people is fundamentally flawed. User pays is the only fair solution. People and Businesses will adapt as they always have

 

I bet you are also a republican if you are American.

2 hours ago, Time Traveller said:

That concept that people should get things for free or subsidized by other people is fundamentally flawed. User pays is the only fair solution. People and Businesses will adapt as they always have

 

 

The Army and Police are "subsidised" and appear on the streets and in peoples lives for "free".

 

It's a question of priorities and choices, not "concepts".

 

You are talking ideology.

 

 

4 hours ago, Alan Deer said:

Closing public transpoert systems in BKK seems to defy all logic - imagine the increase in private traffic this will cause on those routes.

 

The concept that public transport should "make a profit" is fundamentally flawed.

The benefits of a good public transport system are not measured on a simple balance sheet, it is the benefits they bring to the city and businesses - employess getting to work, better environment, less land for car parks etc etc...

The kitty is down to 74 billion or something so cuts are coming. Last stop all out. 

The kitty is down to 74 billion or something so cuts are coming. Last stop all out. 

I take this sometimes. The fare has been at ridiculous 5 baht for some time now regardless of the distance.

1 minute ago, theguyfromanotherforum said:

 

I take this sometimes. The fare has been at ridiculous 5 baht for some time now regardless of the distance.
 

 

Doubling it to 10 would go a long way in fixing things but that is an obvious solution. Even minds can be walled in at times. 

6 hours ago, Time Traveller said:

That concept that people should get things for free or subsidized by other people is fundamentally flawed. User pays is the only fair solution. People and Businesses will adapt as they always have

 

Completely uniformed reply - ALL countries subsidise their transport whatever it is and if you are unaware of that you are not in a position to comment.

 

if you had to pay the true cost of your transport you'd probably die of shock.

22 hours ago, Katipo said:

I am not sure I agree. If having subsidized public transport means fewer cars on the road, everyone benefits. Less pollution and reduced traffic congestion are two obvious examples of how. Obviously there has to be a reasonable cost vs. benefit ratio.

Ok, feel free to give me some of your money to subsidize my use of public transport. If not, then either you really have no clue about what subsidizing means, or you're one of the hypocritical people who only want subsidized things when you're not the person paying for it. 

17 hours ago, Alan Deer said:

Completely uniformed reply - ALL countries subsidise their transport whatever it is and if you are unaware of that you are not in a position to comment.

 

if you had to pay the true cost of your transport you'd probably die of shock.

Pretty sure its you that's uniformed. I drive everywhere in my own car. Which means I paid taxes on the car. I pay annual registration and insurance fees as well as tolls and taxes on fuel. There is ZERO subsidies that I receive. In fact, people like me are subsidizing others. 

 

29 minutes ago, Time Traveller said:

Ok, feel free to give me some of your money to subsidize my use of public transport. If not, then either you really have no clue about what subsidizing means, or you're one of the hypocritical people who only want subsidized things when you're not the person paying for it. 

I work in Thailand and I pay taxes. I am fine with some of that money being put towards public transport. Just as I am with health, education, and other areas that benefit the country as a whole and help it move forward.

48 minutes ago, Katipo said:

I work in Thailand and I pay taxes. I am fine with some of that money being put towards public transport. Just as I am with health, education, and other areas that benefit the country as a whole and help it move forward.

Would you be fine with giving some of your money to me? Because I suspect what you really mean is that you are fine with your money going to pay public transport because you really have no choice in the matter when it comes to paying taxes. I doubt you would really  give anything more than you are forced to. 

Tell me I'm wrong. Tell me you've been donating money - over and above your taxes - each year to Government ministries to help their budgets and help the country. Anything more than the bare minimium that the law forces you to. 

Over to you.

2 hours ago, Time Traveller said:

Pretty sure its you that's uniformed. I drive everywhere in my own car. Which means I paid taxes on the car. I pay annual registration and insurance fees as well as tolls and taxes on fuel. There is ZERO subsidies that I receive. In fact, people like me are subsidizing others. 

 

Taxes? -  where do you think subsidies come from? Thin air? - I don't think you understand what subsidies even are! The motor car is one of the most heavily subsifised forms of transport on the planet.......and doesn't even begin to pay for collateral damage.

Completely uniformed reply - ALL countries subsidise their transport whatever it is and if you are unaware of that you are not in a position to comment.
 
if you had to pay the true cost of your transport you'd probably die of shock.

Not true.

1 hour ago, Alan Deer said:

Taxes? -  where do you think subsidies come from? Thin air? - I don't think you understand what subsidies even are! The motor car is one of the most heavily subsifised forms of transport on the planet.......and doesn't even begin to pay for collateral damage.

In Thailand, 30% of the passenger car cost is a tax straight to the government......no subsidies there mate. Fuel, registration, tolls....all of them are regular on going taxes to the government......so please educate me where do I claim these "subsidies" that you say Car owners are getting?

 

On 2/9/2017 at 10:36 AM, Time Traveller said:

Would you be fine with giving some of your money to me? Because I suspect what you really mean is that you are fine with your money going to pay public transport because you really have no choice in the matter when it comes to paying taxes. I doubt you would really  give anything more than you are forced to. 

Tell me I'm wrong. Tell me you've been donating money - over and above your taxes - each year to Government ministries to help their budgets and help the country. Anything more than the bare minimium that the law forces you to. 

Over to you.

Your arguments are weird and don't make a lot of sense. You can't compare giving to an individual vs. paying taxes. Not least because how the money will be spent is different. Unless you're telling me you'd use it to build some form of public transport?

In an ideal situation (and I know reality is far from this), I do not need to contribute more taxes as the Gov will set them at a level which will enable them to provide the best public services for the country. If there was a particular project that required additional funding, and the case for how it would benefit society in general was strong, I would be Ok with a tax increase, within reason. So, if the Gov put forward a referendum that said by paying an reasonable amount extra per month (reasonable would depend on the project and the benefit) meant that pollution and traffic jams would be reduced, I would vote 'yes'.

You can argue that we are 'forced' to pay taxes in so far as we don't have a choice. However, people can be happy/unhappy with how that money is used. If it is used well, then I don't feel  bad and don't feel forced, i just feel it is necessary, and again, I am all good with that.

I think this sums it up nicely........