BANGKOK, Dec 15 (TNA) — The Land Transport Department has given the green light to bus operators in Bangkok and from Bangkok to interprovincial routes to increase fares starting from next January 21, said Peraphon Thawornsupacharoen, director-general of the department.
Mr Peraphon said a committee responsible for land transport supervision made the decision following a meeting on Friday that operators have been shouldering losses and about 500 buses out of over 3,000 buses from the private partners of the state-run Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) have stopped running.
Some 1,000 buses serving commuters in Bangkok have also ceased services without advance notification, forcing commuters to wait a long time, he said.
Bus operators have requested the government to allow them to increase fares in the past several months, saying that they cannot operate services comfortably due to rising oil costs.
Starting next January 21, ordinary and air-conditioned buses operated by the BMTA and its private partners will increase their fare by one baht.
New buses which have installed E-Ticket and GPS systems, introduced in Bangkok, will have their fares increased from 11-23 baht now to between 15 and 25 baht.
The committee also decided to allow interprovincial buses to increase fares by 10 per cent.
Friday’s decision by the committee will be forwarded to Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith, who will consult with the government on measures to assist both operators and passengers, said Mr Peraphon.
The committee would reconsider the fare increases if the government comes up with any relief measures, Mr Peraphon said, but the new ticket prices will be enforced if the government declines to offer any form of assistance. (TNA)
