Discounted fares likely to replace free tickets
The Transport Ministry may revoke its free public bus and train-fare scheme after the recent six-month extension ends on September 30.
The ministry plans, however, to provide special discount tickets for low-income earners using bus and train services, which would be integrated into its planned joint-ticket campaign, set to be officially launched by next year.
Transport Minister Chatchart Sithipan yesterday said that the Cabinet had instructed the ministry to urgently study ways to support its policy to reduce the cost of living, and that discounted tickets for those at the lower end of the income scale would help achieve such a goal.
“Recently, the Cabinet approved [an extension to] the free-fare scheme for public buses and trains for another six months, from April 1 to September 30 this year. However, the free-ticket scheme is not considered to be the most appropriate system, as lower-income earners have not benefited [as the main targets] from the system.
“The ministry therefore has had the idea of granting special discount ticket to lower-income earners, which will cover students, but also elderly people and the handicapped. In the future, the government may cancel the free-fare public bus and train scheme, as such an assistance measure does not [specifically] target low-income earners,” he said.
The ministry will carefully consider the appropriate level of fares for bus and rail travel and submit its recommendations to the Cabinet before the current free-ticket project expires at the end of September, he added.
