13-9-2023 (BANGKOK) A 20-baht flat fare will be introduced on the MRT Purple Line and the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) Red Line within the next three months, according to Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit. The minister announced this “New Year’s present” to the public during a parliamentary session on Tuesday.
The issue of a flat fare was raised by Surachate Praweenwongwut, an opposition MP from the Move Forward Party, during the government’s policy declaration.
Minister Suriya emphasized the importance of implementing a flat-rate policy to ensure fairness, particularly for individuals with lower incomes. He acknowledged that it could take up to six months for the policy to be officially approved, as it requires the involvement of all train line concessionaires and the establishment of a negotiation committee.
The pilot program for the 20-baht flat fare will initially be implemented on the MRT Purple Line and the SRT Red Line, starting within the next three months, coinciding with the New Year period.
“We anticipate that within two years, the 20-baht flat fare will be applicable to all train lines, but we need time for negotiations,” stated Minister Suriya.
In response, Mr. Surachate expressed disappointment that the flat-rate policy was not included in the policies presented by the Pheu Thai party during the parliamentary session. He pointed out that the Transport Ministry, which has three deputy ministers, is under the leadership of Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, who also serves as the Finance Minister with the authority to approve public funding.
Mr. Surachate argued that the flat fare should be extended to all electric train lines, including transfers between lines. However, without clear guidance on transportation system investments, the full extent of the flat-rate policy remains uncertain, according to the opposition MP.
Furthermore, he cautioned that the policy might not be successfully implemented within the initial three months of the new government’s term, as promised during the election campaign, due to potential complications with private contractors operating the train lines.
