BANGKOK: Commuters in the Bangkok metropolitan area would be able to ride electric trains for 20 baht (RM2.60) across all routes by September 2025, Transport Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit promised on Thursday (April 18).
The 20-baht train fare cap was one of the ruling Pheu Thai Party’s election promises. The policy was partly implemented in October last year on the SRT Red Line and the MRT Purple Line.
Suriya was responding to an earlier remark by Surachet Pravinvongvuth, an opposition MP from the Move Forward Party, who said the project could not be done on all routes and should not even be launched.
Suriya stressed that the policy was designed to develop transportation and logistics, as well as mitigate the expense burden for Thais. Currently the maximum fare for a single train ride in Bangkok could be as high as 192 baht.
He added that the ministry was working to bring more lines into the scheme, and promised that by September 2025 fares of all electric train routes would be capped at 20 baht.
“Those who claimed that it could not be done would see all train fares capped at 20 baht,” he said.
He added that to make the fare cap possible on all routes, the ministry was drafting a joint-ticket bill that would allow commuters to use one ticket/card to travel across the public transport network as well as at participating shops and service providers.
A fund would be established to compensate operators for loss in revenue from the train fare cap, he said.
Suriya added that the draft would be submitted to the Cabinet for approval soon.
“The policy would eventually increase the use of electric trains, which are an eco-friendly mass transport, and thus help reduce the emission of greenhouse gases and PM2.5 fine dust particles in the city,” Suriya said, reiterating, “The government intends to keep its promise of capping all train fares at 20 baht within two years.” - The Nation/ANN
