City Hall is considering three fare structures for electric train rides along the Green Line extension, the revenue from which it plans to use to pay off its debts to the Bangkok Mass Transit System Plc (BTSC) for operating the services.
The options are being explored after the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) was urged last week to start collecting fares on the extended sections of the Green Line -- between Mo Chit-Khu Khot and Bearing-Kheha -- as a stopgap measure until talks on BTSC's concession for the Green Line's main section are completed.
The impasse means, for the time being, rides between Mo Chit-Khu Khot and Bearing-Kheha remain free of charge. Without any income from rides along the extension, City Hall is unable to pay its debts to the BTSC for operating the services since 2017, which currently stands at about 12 billion baht.
Deputy Bangkok governor, Sakoltee Phattiyakul, said yesterday three fare structures are currently being considered.
The first, he said, will see trips along the extension priced at a flat rate of 15 baht, regardless of the length of the journey.
The second will see the introduction of a progressive rate which rises as the journey length increases, he said.
Under this scheme, a journey of up to five stations will be priced at 15 baht, a journey of 6-10 stations at 20 baht, while trips over 11 stations will be charged 25 baht.
The last option, Mr Sakoltee said, will see a flagfall of 15 baht charged at the start of the journey.
Fares will increase by three baht for every station travelled, though it will be capped at 30 baht, Mr Sakoltee explained.
There are 16 stations on the Mo Chit-Saphan Mai-Khu Khot extension and nine stations on the Bearing-Samut Prakan-Kheha extension.
Mr Sakoltee said the first option will see the BMA left with three billion baht of debt, while the second and third options will reduce the city's debt burden by a billion baht.
Once a pricing scheme is chosen, City Hall will try to maintain the fare ceiling at 89 baht, he said.
Bangkok governor Aswin Kwanmuang has instructed the BMA's Traffic and Transport Department to look into the proposals.
