Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit introduced a pilot for a 20-baht flat fare on the MRT Purple Line and the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) Red Line. The pilot, anticipated to roll out within the subsequent three months, is described as a “New Year’s present” for the common public.
Suriya clarified this initiative in Parliament, affirming its practicality, after it was queried by Surachate Praweenwongwut, an opposition MP from the Move Forward Party. The flat-fare proposal emerged on the second day of the government’s policy declaration.
Concealed stood firm on the flat-rate coverage, citing it as a chance to ensure equity for people, significantly those battling with lower earnings brackets.
Despite his optimism, he cautioned it would take half a year for the flat-rate policy to be formally permitted. This delay is as a end result of need to convene all practice line concessionaires and set up a negotiation committee to debate the coverage intimately.
Suriya assured that the 20 baht flat rate shall be trialled on the MRT Purple Line and the SRT Red Line within the forthcoming three months, aligning with the New Year interval.
“Within two years, folks will pay 20 baht for all prepare traces because we want time for negotiations.”
However, Surachate pointed out that the flat rate, which was certainly one of Pheu Thai’s key campaign promises, was not included among its policies offered to Parliament. This omission is notable although the Transport Ministry has three deputy ministers and Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin is the Finance Minister, possessing complete authority to greenlight public funding.
Surachate argued that the flat rate should be relevant to every electric practice line, including when passengers switch to different strains. Nonetheless, without a distinct course on transport system funding, the reach of the flat-rate policy remains uncertain.
Surachate further cautioned that the coverage may falter throughout the first three months of the model new government’s tenure, as promised during the election campaign, as a outcome of potential problems from the practice lines’ private contractors, reported Bangkok Post..