BMTA ‘to stay in state hands’

Bus purchase plan on course, union told

The Transport Ministry insisted yesterday there was no plan to privatise the debt-ridden Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA), saying its current bus purchase programme would proceed as planned.

The assurance was given during a meeting between of its workers’ union and Suchart Chokchaiwattanakorn, assistant to the transport minister, after hundreds of union members converged on the ministry to protest against what they believed was a privatisation plan.

In the protesters’ crosshairs were the BMTA’s bus fleet rehabilitation plan, which would see private firms contracted to provide bus services, and the possible scrapping of the agency’s planned bus purchases. The union claimed this was tantamount to privatising the BMTA.

Speaking after the meeting, Mr Suchart insisted the Transport Ministry would not force the bus agency to halt its operations to make way for private operators to take over. He said the BMTA is a key mass transit system the government would have to support.

He said the BMTA would go ahead and purchase 3,000 new buses to improve services.

However, he said it was too early to say how many bus routes the BMTA would operate under the bus route reform scheme after the union insisted that the agency must have 137 routes.

According to Mr Suchart, bus fares were also discussed and the union disagreed with a fare reduction out of concern it would add to the financial woes of the agency which has accumulated debts of 110 billion baht.

It was likely that a “one day pass” valued at 30 baht might be introduced to help ease the financial burden on commuters, he said, adding the ministry is working on the long-delayed appointment of the BMTA’s board.

Union chairman, Boonma Pongma, yesterday said workers was opposed to Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob’s demand for a review of the BMTA’s rehabilitation plan. He also claimed the ministry tried to pressure the BMTA to lower bus fares in order to plunge the agency deeper into debt and eventually force it to shut down.

According to Mr Boonma, the union would ask the opposition to examine the BMTA rehabilitation plan as the opposition is considering targeting Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob in a no-confidence motion.