City Hall opts to keep BRT running
City Hall has decided to continue operating the loss-ridden Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service with a new fare of 15 baht per ride.
Bangkok governor Aswin Kwanmuang said scrapping the service would inconvenience around 25,000 passengers who use the BRT every day.
It is also impractical to rely on Bangkok Mass Transit Authority buses to offer the same services as the BRT as there are not enough buses for passengers, he said.
Earlier, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) decided to scrap the bus service at the end of April because the BRT had lost 1.2 billion baht over the past six years.
But the decision drew criticism from many commuters and critics, saying the service benefits tens of thousands of commuters every day.
They said that the BMA’s failure to enforce regulations including banning private vehicles from using BRT lanes have hampered the service.
According to Pol Gen Aswin, the BRT service will continue until there are other mass-transit systems in the area, such as a monorail or light rail services.
The BRT was created by t he BMA as a feeder service, linking the Sathon and Ratchaphruek areas, for BTS skytrain users.
The buses run on a 3.5km reserved lane on Narathiwat Ratchanakharin Road and use a 12.4km High Occupancy Vehicles lane on Rama III.
Originally announced during former Bangkok governor Apirak Kosayodhin’s electoral campaign in 2004, the service kicked off in May 2010, during the first term of former Bangkok governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra.
The Bangkok Mass Transit System Plc has spent 200 million baht a year to operate the service and had been charging 10 baht a ride. The company’s seven-year management contract will end next month.
During t he second term of MR Sukhumbhand, the fare was pushed down to five baht, a promise he had made during his election campaign. It was later raised back to 10 baht.
“As we collected a fare of five baht, the BMA earned around 30 million baht per year from the BRT. When we collected 10 baht, our earnings were 50 million baht a year,” said Pol Gen Aswin. “After the contract ends next month, a new operator will be sought with a new fare of 15 baht, and this would bring in 90 million baht to City Hall.”
He is confident the new fare will be acceptable to BRT passengers.
The governor said Khon Kaen University contacted City Hall about running the BRT instead of the BTSC and talks are under way. If the university agrees with a hire contract of 170 million baht a year, the BMA would choose it, he said.
“A clear conclusion now is that the BMA will run the BRT service further after the existing contract ends on April 30 with a new fare of 15 baht a ride,” said Pol Gen Aswin.
He said terminating the BRT, which cost 1.6-1.7 billion baht, would be a pity.