EXCLUSIVE: MASS TRANSIT not keeping up

[rooster59]

EXCLUSIVE: MASS TRANSIT not keeping up

By PHUWIT LIMVIPHUWAT 
THE NATION 

 

Photos by the Nation Photo.

 

FARE-PRICE CEILING, BUSES ‘FEEDING’ STATIONS AND WALKWAYS AMONG SUGGESTIONS TO ENSURE SUCCESS

 

USING BANGKOK’S extended mass rapid transit system could be too costly for low-income earners unless there are support services in place, including a wider bus network, experts caution.

 

“Citizens living far from the city centre might shun the BTS even when it’s expanded to the suburbs because the fares could be too high,” said Sumet Ongkittikul, research director for Transportation and Logistics Policy at the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI).

 

Four overhead railway lines are now in operation covering 120 kilometres, with seven more under construction covering 173 kilometres, according to Chayatan Phromsorn, deputy director general of the Transport Ministry’s Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning.

 

The State Railways of Thailand Red Line under development will connect Bang Sue to Rangsit (Dark Red, 26 kilometres) and to Taling Chan (Light Red, 15km). The latter is now ready and the former is 79 per cent complete. 

 

Scheduled to open in 2020, the Red Line is expected to carry 300,000 passengers a day. 

 

The Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) underground Dark Blue Line connecting Hua Lamphong to Bang Khae and Bang Sue to Tha Phra is 95 per cent complete. Hua Lamphong-Bang Khae is expected to open this year, while Bang Sue-Tha Phra has a planned 2020 start. 

 

The Dark Blue Line is projected to carry 490,000 travellers a day, according to Chayatan. 

 

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) recently said it aims to ensure that a mass-transit ride costs no more than Bt65 until at least 2029. 

 

The pledge came in response to speculation that it could cost as much as Bt158 per ride if the longer routes open without a defined price ceiling. 

 

“Even if the price is capped at Bt65 per ride, it could still be too expensive for low-income earners, especially those who earn the minimum wage,” Sumet said in an interview with The Nation. 

 

Even at Bt65 per ride, the Bt130 round trip would be close to half the daily minimum wage in Bangkok, which currently stands at Bt325. 

 

“Even if the price was capped at Bt65, the cost for many citizens living outside the city centre could still be well above that, since they might also have to take other means of transportation before and after using the Skytrain or underground,” Sumet said.

 

These might include public buses or motorcycle taxis getting from home to the closest mass-transit station and again to reach one’s workplace. 

 

Chayatan said the Transport Ministry hopes to add more “feeder” buses to move people from home to the mass-transit stations and from the stations to their workplaces or leisure destinations. 

 

No concrete timeline has been set for this, Sumet pointed out. 

 

“At this rate, it’s possible that the newly opened lines might not see as much traffic as expected due to the disconnect between the mass transit system and other public means of transport,” he said. 

 

Use of the four current mass transit lines varies from 740,000 passengers per day on the BTS Green Line (Sukhumvit Line) to 50,000 on the Purple Line (Ratchadham Line).

 

To attract more passengers to the system, Sumet said, the government should provide sufficient transportation options in areas around the new stations. It could build walkways linking stations to nearby landmarks or add bus lines dedicated to transporting people from home to the stations at an affordable price.

 

Manoj Lohatepanont, director of Chulalongkorn University’s Transportation Institute, also called for an improvement to the bus network to support the new BTS lines.

 

“Bangkok covers around 1,600 square kilometres and the expanded BTS routes will only cover a fraction of that. So it’s clear that expanding the mass-transit routes alone is insufficient,” Manoj said. 

 

“The role of feeders will become crucial in improving the quality of Bangkok’s public transportation system.”

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30369594

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2019-05-18

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[mok199]

Bangkok and Pattaya choke to death on fumes and insane gridlock traffic volumes,as the Thai think tank scratches their head !!!! Park and Rides are the only solution ,the days of driving any old smoke belching vehicle into the downtown core must end,allow efficient buses to move people ..

[geoffbezoz]

4 minutes ago, mok199 said:

Bangkok and Pattaya choke to death on fumes and insane gridlock traffic volumes,as the Thai think tank scratches their head !!!! Park and Rides are the only solution ,driving any old smoke belching vehicle into the downtown core days are over...

Not in Thailand is it over and I suspect not for several years yet .

[SoilSpoil]

Took the BTS the other day and paid 59 baht for a ticket. I had to take a cab for the last 6 kilometers to my destination, whuch cost my 61 baht. Or the BTS is too expensive or taxis too cheap.

[ExpatOilWorker]

25 minutes ago, SoilSpoil said:

Took the BTS the other day and paid 59 baht for a ticket. I had to take a cab for the last 6 kilometers to my destination, whuch cost my 61 baht. Or the BTS is too expensive or taxis too cheap.

More likely the BTS was so nice, quick and comfortable that your didn't even notice the 59 baht fare took you 22.4 km right across the city in 39 minutes, while your 4 km taxi ride felt like 6 km and probably took forever.

 

https://www.numbeo.com/taxi-fare/in/Bangkok

[yellowboat]

It is more expensive than China, and the Chinese have more money/

2 hours ago, SoilSpoil said:

Took the BTS the other day and paid 59 baht for a ticket.

The BTS is BS.   Most expensive trip in the Chinese city I live is 8RMB for the longest trip, or around B40.  It is disgraceful. 

[rkidlad]

I’ve noticed the air con busses have jumped up anything from 2-4 baht. Nothing for me. But when you’re making 15k a month that’s significant. Add to that that some people are getting on busses to then go on the BTS or MRT. 

[new2here]

IMHO, it’s always going to be a hard sell to the public to pay for and build out multi-billon baht transportation infrastructure projects BEFORE the growth actually materializes - but doing so is the net more effective planning process.

After all, by planning for and paying for systems in not-yet-developed areas you are essentially taking a bet that the growth will follow later... whereas investing in infrastructure projects in already built areas is a “known”... you know who, how many and where the people are.... unfortunately build-out costs tend to be much higher like for eminent-domain claims that have to be paid for now-used land that the projects will require... plus the day-to-day impact on locals while the projects are underway.

Sure, building first would probably be the cheaper alternative and have a smaller impact on the day-to-day people while it’s being built.. but I think from a public optics viewpoint and “saleability” to the general public, that’s harder as they might say ‘why build out there? Nothing is out there. Why not build here where we need it now.’



Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[SoilSpoil]

2 hours ago, ExpatOilWorker said:

More likely the BTS was so nice, quick and comfortable that your didn't even notice the 59 baht fare took you 22.4 km right across the city in 39 minutes, while your 4 km taxi ride felt like 6 km and probably took forever.

 

https://www.numbeo.com/taxi-fare/in/Bangkok

BTS was 13 km and taxi ride 5.6 km to be precise, but thank you for adding this information. 

[bkk6060]

4 hours ago, SoilSpoil said:

Took the BTS the other day and paid 59 baht for a ticket. I had to take a cab for the last 6 kilometers to my destination, whuch cost my 61 baht. Or the BTS is too expensive or taxis too cheap.

Taxis are cheap here.

But SKT is much much faster.

M/B taxi is actually the best way I think.

[Caldera]

Well, if they make the BTS cheaper, it will get even more crowded. Not sure that's something to look forward to.

[Srikcir]

6 hours ago, rooster59 said:

To attract more passengers to the system, Sumet said, the government should provide sufficient transportation options in areas around the new stations.

Instead, how about NOT attracting more passengers?

The basic strategy of BTS is all routes lead to Bangkok central. I believe this is in part a political strategy that maintains Bangkok as the prime political center of the nation.

• An enlightened government (ref. Brazil and Egypt) would have a strategy to not only decentralize Bangkok as a work and residence center, but to diversify work and residences to more outlying areas that creates other centers of employment and living.

The drawback is the potential to create competing political power centers beyond the reach of Bangkok. Unless the current government is able to "plant the seeds" for political party loyalty to allow such centers. And that may be part of the political resolve for Prayut's EEC being established through Article 44 in southeastern Thailand which traditionally has been pro-Pheu Thai Party. 

[losworld]

who needs mass transit when you can have submarine contracts?

[khunken]

As long as they continue to cap the BTSC's (the operator of the BTS) greed and also the operators of the newer light rail systems, they are not too expensive.

Their target commuters are not bus and WIN users but car owners & drivers & what is needed in addition is either a even/odd system of allowing cars into the city limits on alternate days or a system to charge car owners for the privilage of entering the city limits (similar to Singapore). That's really the only way to allow bus & delivery traffic to move more freely.

That would take courage to implement, not found within the BMA.

[josephbloggs]

9 hours ago, losworld said:

who needs mass transit when you can have submarine contracts?

What?

 

This article was talking about the four existing lines, two imminently opening extensions, and the seven lines under construction.  What on earth are you talking about?  What have submarines got to do with anything??

[madmen]

It is more expensive than China, and the Chinese have more money/
The BTS is BS.   Most expensive trip in the Chinese city I live is 8RMB for the longest trip, or around B40.  It is disgraceful. 

I wouldn't move to that s hole if it were free

[Classic Ray]

You should realize that the BTS and NBM/EBM who will pay for, build and operate the new Pink and Yellow Monorail Lines are run not by the Government but by a private company BTSC.

 

Like other private companies their purpose is to generate profits for shareholders and to fund expansion of the services they offer. 

 

Therefore they invest in popular routes where the ridership justifies the expenditure, and the fares are set to attract customers away from alternative transport. 

[bokningar]

On 5/18/2019 at 6:42 AM, rooster59 said:

The State Railways of Thailand Red Line under development will connect Bang Sue to Rangsit (Dark Red, 26 kilometres) and to Taling Chan (Light Red, 15km). The latter is now ready and the former is 79 per cent complete.

And no way will it be near the Taling Chan Bus terminal. That would make connections from south of Thailand easy and make too much sense 

[wotsdermatter]

Many a time I used the public transportation systems in Bangkok and was usually frustrated at the lack of consideration for transferring from one conveyance to another.  Why have they not yet developed what we have in Toronto?  I get the bus and obtain a transfer.  The bus takes me to the subway (no, not the sandwich shop franchise), which takes me to where I have to get a bus or streetcar to my destination.  It is possible to traverse the city speedily, in reasonable comfort, and only pay one fare.  Also, we have a reduced fare that is for people over the age of 65 which is an added bonus.  Another thing that Thailand does not have but should considering the ageing population and the increase in the number of handicapped people, and I fall into both groups, is the fact that the front of our busses "kneel" to make it easy for us to get on and off the bus, and the driver can not and will not move until everybody is safely on board, before the doors are closed and away we go.  Our streetcars are being replaced and as I have not ridden on one yet, cannot say if they perform the "kneeling " thing.

 

Just as an add on.  Thais that I have met in Thailand who have been to Toronto and in Canada, have expressed the need in Bangkok for a similar public transportation system.

 

Just thought I should add my pennies worth.

'nuf sed.

[Fex Bluse]

On 5/18/2019 at 6:42 AM, rooster59 said:

“Citizens living far from the city centre might shun the BTS even when it’s expanded to the suburbs because the fares could be too high,” said Sumet Ongkittikul, research director for Transportation and Logistics Policy at the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI).

That's exactly how the 'middle class' Thais would keep it. 

 

They wouldn't be comfortable standing and sitting next to Thais from lower castes en masse. 

 

The HiSos also don't typically ride as they're too good and would rather sit stuck in traffic for hours. On the rare occasion they do take BTS/MRT, they put on a show pretending they don't know how it all works so that everyone within earshot knows they don't normally take public transport 

[VocalNeal]

15 minutes ago, wotsdermatter said:

Why have they not yet developed what we have in Toronto?   the front of our busses "kneel" to make it easy for us to get on and off the bus,

They have the same in Vancouver and the weather is better 

 

The weather is even better here but we don't have it.

 

You can chose?