IN ORDER to better serve the public during the phase 3 easing of the Covid-19 lockdown and the cutting of the curfew by an hour staring tomorrow the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) will start running buses from 4 a.m. rather than the usual 5 a.m., PostToday reported.
BMTA chief Surachai Iamvachirasakul said this change would help commuters as curfew will be from 11 p.m. to 3 a.m. and not 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. as earlier imposed while shopping malls and exhibition centres can stay open to 9 p.m.
These changes lead to an additional 20,000 to 30,000 bus passengers or around 620,000-630,000 a day.
BMTA has therefore modified its bus schedule for the phase 3 lockdown duration as follows:
- Operating at 95% capacity, which is a total of 2,855 buses a day, or in accordance to daily passenger needs.
- Changing the daily bus operating hours from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. to 10 p.m. , with 10 p.m. being when buses should be back at the terminus. Increasing the frequency during the 4 a.m. to 8 a.m. rush hours and just before the curfew from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m., with intervals not being more than 5 to 10 minutes.
- The last buses leave their destination stop at 9 p.m. in order to be back at the terminus at 10 p.m. The last three buses will be released at 5- to 10-minute intervals with a message posted in front stating whether any more are going to come, for example two more buses coming, one more bus coming and last bus.
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Top: Some buses parked at the BMTA terminus. Photo: PostToday
