Phuket consortium to launch bus service as ‘New Year’s gift’

[webfact]

Phuket consortium to launch bus service as ‘New Year’s gift’

Chutharat Plerin

 

The buses are expected to ready by October, with the full service to launch by New Year. Image: PKCD

 

PHUKET: -- The Phuket City Development Co Ltd (PKCD) is looking to offer Phuket a New Year’s gift to usher in 2018 with the launch of the island’s first route of a fledgling island-wide bus service.

 

The consortium, which revealed its intention to bring a genuine bus service to Phuket last November (see story here), announced the news on Tuesday (May 30).

 

The “Phuket Smart Bus” project time will require B55 million investment to launch with 10 buses, Dr Phadet Jinda, one of the company’s co-founders said.

 

“All 10 buses will be ready by October,” Dr Phadet assured.

 

“Our goal for Phase II is to be fully operational with all 10 units (providing bus services) in January 2018 as the gift for Phuket people,” he said.

 

The air-conditioned, low-emission “Smart” buses will feature free WiFi, GPS tracking, CCTV, digital route information and signage, and entertainment TV screens. They will also provide spacious luggage compartment to cater to tourists and feature wheel chair ramps to allow easy access.

 

Full story: http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-consortium-to-launch-bus-service-as-new-year-gift-62414.php

 

-- © Copyright Phuket News 2017-06-02

[chub]

PKCD’s previous announcement last November, of an ‘island wide’ bus network included a detailed map of six routes radiating from Phuket Town, as far as north as end of the Bypass and as far south as Chalong Circle, but of course excluding any link to the west coast to avoid any incursion into the monopoly of the taxi-tuktuk cartels.

PKCD’s current announcement is for a single route between the Airport and Darasamuth (Central Festival/Homeworks). The proposed route is indicated only by broad arrows but it duplicates most of the current Airport Bus to Phuket Town route which, despite serving Phuket Town and onward truck-bus connections, carries very few passengers.  Why then does PKCD want to operate  a bus route that obviously has very little demand?

The proposed route also duplicates most of the light rail route so the one hour bus journey time will be extended by having to negotiate fifty kilometres of LRT construction works including six underpasses.

The strangest part of PKCD’s proposal is that “when travellers come from the airport, they can put their belongings at Homeworks and their luggage will be transferred directly to their hotel, so they can get straight to their holiday experience.” The holiday experience will therefore begin with negotiating onward transport, minus luggage, to the west coast resorts with the various taxi cartels that infest Central Festival or waiting for the unreliable and primitive local truck buses. If PKCD can transport the luggage to a hotel, why can’t they also transport the travellers to their hotel?  We know the answer.

PKCD’s picture of the Mercedes Benz ‘Smart Bus’ to be used for the route is taken from a M-B promotion on ‘Motor Car Tube’ on the internet. It shows a left hand drive school bus which has a retractable ‘stop’ sign in English and Arabic. Perhaps PKCD has no idea what a high quality urban bus looks like!  

PKCD’s proposal illustrates the very limited scope for public transport if it must avoid incursion into the entrenched monopoly truck-bus routes or the west coast taxi monopoly.  

[Old Croc]

It's easy to find fault and shortfalls with these proposals for new transport systems, I do it myself, but all things considered, small steps are the only way to get things started to fix the immense transport problems on the Island.

Yes, these new systems are only on the eastern side of the island and the main tourist centres are excluded at this stage. The terrain and the transport mafia are significant obstacles to overcome.

Cost, and the other difficulties mentioned, preclude building a provincial wide system initially. However, it's a start, and once it's in place and is accepted and used by the populous, expansion would be the natural progression. I'm hoping so. 

[LivinginKata]

But there is a bus service from airport to the west coach beaches Patong Karon Kata. I see those buses every day. Must admit I do not the frequency but they are running.

[chub]

Anybody remember this idea from two years ago. Another bus proposal, unrelated to any plan, strategy or identifiable demand, Just somebody's brainwave, announced, a confused discussion, then forgotten.  Transport needs to be PLANNED!

Sorry for the underlined text - I can't delete the underlining.

 

Free Phuket airport shuttle bus in the pipeline

Thursday 14 May 2015, 01:58PM

PHUKET: A new free shuttle bus service, provided by Airports of Thailand (AoT) and running from the airport to Saphan Hin, Karon and Rawai were disccused a meeting held on Tuesday (May 12) to update on management progress at Phuket International Airport.

President of Phuket Tourism Business Association, Sathirapong Na Takuatoong (in glasses) doesn't want to upset the taxis.

Speaking about the new bus service, Lawyer and political advisor, Sarayuth Mallam proposed that there should be three lines; first would be Airport – Bangtao – Kamala – Patong – Karon (Beach Front line). Second, Airport – Bang Ku – Chaofa West – Rawai and third a city line to Saphan Hin.

However, President of Phuket Tourism Business Association, Sathirapong Na Takuatoong said, “If we want to do the shuttle bus it shouldn't affect the earnings of other people. We might focus on the waiting time, if you want to travel cheap you have to wait maybe half an hour for a bus to be available. That will not take advantage out of the metered taxis.”

Deputy Director of Airport Of Thailand, Phuket Office, Second Lieutenant Thani Chuangchoo said, “That would mean that there would then be two types of airport bus, one is a shuttle bus and the another is the airport bus.

“With the shuttle bus, when passengers take the route to or from the airport the bus will only stop at designated points, but with the airport bus this will stop anywhere along the route to pick up passengers.

“I think the shuttle bus is more universal but passengers will need to show their boarding pass before using the bus because it will be free.”

Gov Nisit stressed that the shuttle bus is necessary to meet the needs of airport passengers.

Currently, there are two routes for the airport bus – Phuket Town line (nine rounds) and Kata-Karon (12 rounds). However, these are not operated by AoT

Sec Lt Thani said, “The airport bus can be remained in operation because it is another choice for locals. But we will not allow them to be a minivan because we already have a concession for that type of vehicle.”

Jaturong Kaewkasi of the Phuket Office of the Transport Department said, “Actually, the reason that we use minivans is because sometimes there are not enough passengers for a bus, and if we use a bus it will cost us more money.”

[fruitman]

Why does Phuket get nice Mercedes buses and Bangkok can't even get cheapo chinese ones.?

 

The taximob on Phuket won't be happy and have protests soon i guess.