Govt mulls 1 baht private bus fare hike

The Transport Minister is considering allowing privately-run bus operators in Bangkok to raise their fares by one more baht in addition to the one baht fare hike which goes into effect today.

Pongchai Kasemthawisak, deputy permanent secretary for transport, revealed the ministry’s idea yesterday, responding to operators’ request for a three baht fare raise.

The ministry needs more time to study the reasons submitted for the higher hike request before the next meeting of the Central Land Transport Committee around the end of this month, Mr Pongchai said.

“It’s possible private operators will be allowed to raise fares by only one more baht,” he said.

He said the ministry will also have to study any possible effects of the bus fare hike both in terms of energy and living costs.

New fares which take effect from today are nine baht for private, non-air-conditioned buses and between 12 and 24 baht for the air-conditioned ones.

The fares of public bus services operated by the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) will remain the same at 6.5 baht for regular buses and 12 baht and upwards for air-conditioned bus services in which passengers are charged according to the travel distance.

Phattharawadee Klomcharoon, president of the Association of Private Operators of Bus Services, said they are ready to begin charging passengers at the new fare rates (one more baht) immediately.

However, she admitted operators may still use the eight-baht ticket for some time until they print more tickets for the new fares.

As for the half-priced tickets for elderly passengers, she said, the association is now asking its members to charge these passengers only four baht as it will be inconvenient to find enough 50 satang coins for change if they are charged 4.5 baht.

But some operators want to charge the passengers five baht instead, she said.