The project to roll out Mangmoom, or Spider, cards that will allow commuters to travel with a single ticket is gathering pace as key modes of public transport are set to be integrated in November and December next year.
The skytrain, also known as the Green Line, the Blue Line subway and Purple Line elevated rapid transit line will join the project in November, completing the integration of the electric rail network in Bangkok under the Mangmoom ticketing system, Phadet Praditphet, chief of the common ticketing management office, said yesterday.
Earlier, Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith announced that city buses and the Airport Rail Link would be the first two transport modes to come under the system in June next year.
Currently, the installation of the ticketing system, including card readers, is "moving ahead as planned and meeting targets" set, Mr Phadet said. SRT Electric Train Co, which runs the Airport Rail Link connecting the Phaya Thai area in Bangkok and Suvarnabhumi airport, is proceeding as planned and expects to serve Mangmoom card holders between June and July next year.
The Bangkok Mass Transit Authority, which operates city buses, is also busy installing card readers. The BMTA plans to have the first batch of 800 buses equipped with the electronic-ticket reading machines by next month. The number will increase to 1,500 in February and should reach the target of 2,600 by April, he said.
However, the highlight of the common-ticketing project will occur late next year when commuters will enjoy smoother travel with a single ticket on the skytrain, taking them to Samut Prakan in the East, the subway, passing downtown Bangkok, and the Purple Line, taking them to Nonthaburi in the West. Authorities also plan to integrate expressways and motorways into the scheme, Mr Phadet added.
The Expressway Authority of Thailand and the Highways Department are preparing to buy common ticket card readers for use at their expressway and motorway toll booths, he said. Motorway No. 7, linking Bangkok and Chon Buri, and Motorway No.9, the outer ring road around Bangkok, are the two main routes under the project. All of them will be ready for the common-ticketing system next year.
Fares to be collected under the new card are also being discussed. An initial study, conducted by the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning, suggests firms which provide transport services must reduce starting fares by 30%, but the proposal has yet to be finalised, he said.
Last week, BTS Group Holdings Plc chairman Keeree Kanjanapas expressed worries that fares for electric train lines might rise under the system if the government does not provide subsidies.
