BANGKOK Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said today (Sep. 19) that he would have to ask the government for funds if a flat fare of 20 baht is introduced on the Green Line with the contract for this route up for extension in 2029, TV Channel 7 said.
Speaking before a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister-cum-Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul Chadchart pointed out that as the private sector, namely Bangkok Mass Transit System Plc (BTSC), holds the contract to operate this line till 2029 it has the right to collect whatever fares it wants.
It is only after 2029 that the government could itself set and collect the fares.
He emphasised that setting a flat fare of 20 baht for this route would not be worth it as there are a lot of expenses with the appropriate rate being 33 baht.
Setting it below 33 baht means incurring losses which Bangkok Metropolitan Authority would have to cover to keep trains running on this route.
Regarding an order passed under Section 44 of the post-2014 coup interim constitution that the Green Line must be reverted to the state, Chadchart said this order means the cabinet will be in charge of extending the Green Line contract and if it fails the Interior Ministry would take over doing so.
It is up to the government whether it wants to cancel this order or not but maintaining it means the entire debt accrued would be a condition on extending the contract and it would like renewing a debt repayment agreement, he added.
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Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt. Top photo, Matichon, Front Page photo: Thai Rath
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