Mass transit not keeping up with ‘poor’ reality

Train of thought: Despite its popularity with commuters, riding a metro train in Bangkok could be prohibitively expensive for lower income brackets, even after a price cap. —Bloomberg

Bangkok: 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 (Bangkok Mass Transit System) 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).