Commuters see red over Purple Line
Reading reports about the twoweek-old Purple Line, and how the struggling service is racking up losses of three million baht daily, doesn’t surprise me. What surprises me is that the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA) is disappointed that the service, given the flaws it has, is drawing only one-third of the 73,000 commuters it was hoping for.
After the service’s losses were revealed, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha ordered the MRTA to come up with new ways to attract commuters. The premier also used his “magic” power — Section 44 under the interim charter— to speed up work to replace the missing link between Tao Poon and Bang Sue stations.
I came across a commentary posted on social media site pantip.com by someone who took a ride on the Purple Line on its opening day.
The netizen, who had always driven to work from Talat Bang Yai station in Nonthaburi to his office in Nana, decided to forego his car for the day in favour of taking the Purple Line.
Leaving from Talat Bang Yai station at 7.35am, the person spent 272 baht for the round trip and at least two hours to get to his office in Nana.
The fee for the first leg of the trip could be broken into 42 baht for the Purple Line, 39 baht for the Blue Line, and 15 baht for the BTS ride. As for the duration, the user drove 30 minutes from his home to the first station, spent 50 minutes on the Purple Line, 10 minutes on a shuttle bus, 30 minutes on the Blue Line, and another 10 minutes on the BTS getting to Nana station.
It took him even longer to get home because the shuttle service that connects the missing link took 25 minutes owing to the rush hour traffic.
After his lengthy ordeal, the reviewer said he would go back to driving his car to work because, after a rough calculation, he came to the conclusion that he pays just 202 baht to go by car (152 baht for petrol and 50 baht for the expressway fee for the way back only). And driving was far more convenient he says, taking just 90 minutes in the morning and 120 minutes in the evening.
To get a better idea of how the service works, I tried the service myself. I took the the outbound route one weekday morning from Siam to Klong Bang Phai station in Bang Bua Thong.
The missing 1km link between the two stations forced me to get off the train and go out the station, which is unacceptable given that the stations are supposed to be connected.
Similarly, the shuttle bus service is a waste of time, especially in the mornings on the outbound route because the bus has to take a detour.
The bus goes in a larger circular loop because the regular two-way road between the two stations has been turned into a one-way road.
It took me nearly two hours to get to Klong Bang Phai station that morning.
After my experience of changing trains and having to use different travel passes, I could empathise with commuters frustrated by the service and reluctant to give up going to work by car or the popular public van service.
Despite its poor safety record, the van service is much cheaper and efficient because it usually runs from the suburbs directly to the city centre, certain office buildings, or Chatuchak station.
More importantly, commuters don’t need any cards, but cash only, to use the van service. Van fares range from 35 to 60 baht depending on distance.
In my case, if I want to help reduce traffic by taking public transportation, it would take me ages to get to work; it would also be more costly. The distance between my house and work is about 7km; I would spend at least 50 minutes walking to the National Stadium BTS, then change to use the MRT, then walk or get a motorbike taxi to the Bangkok Post office in Klong Toey.
The entire one-way trip costs me 67 baht, which is only a few baht cheaper than going by taxi. But it takes me just 15 minutes by taxi, and I get to work without breaking into a sweat. The taxi also drops me right in front of my office.
My advice to the MRTA is, for some help and advice in making the transport network more efficient, easier to use and used more often, look no further than asking the people who use it. Commuters’ demands are what count; they want a good service, that’s convenient and priced fairly.
Like any other recipe for business success, the best strategy is to draw more customers by putting their needs first. The MRTA should think about commuters, and give them the rail service they deserve, without hiccups like a missing link.