EXAT Considers Single-Day 50% Toll Cut to Boost Easy Pass Use
The authority seeks to alleviate congestion by offering a steep discount for one special day, hoping to push Easy Pass adoption to 70%
The Expressway Authority of Thailand (EXAT) is set to propose a one-off 50% toll reduction to its board in September 2025.
The promotion, exclusive to Easy Pass users, is part of a new strategy to tackle traffic congestion at toll plazas by encouraging more drivers to switch from cash.
EXAT Governor Surachet Laophulsuk revealed that of the two million daily expressway users, only about one million actively use an Easy Pass.
He noted that a previous 30-day, 5% discount promotion failed to significantly increase adoption, costing the authority 700 million baht for a mere 1% rise in Easy Pass users.
The new plan is a "one-shot" campaign, offering a dramatic 50% discount on a single, yet-to-be-determined special day, such as a cardholder's birthday or an EXAT anniversary.
The governor explained that a permanent, across-the-board 50% cut would be unsustainable, costing the authority an estimated 5 billion baht a year—a proposal the board would never approve.
The one-day promotion is expected to cost around 20 million baht, a sum that will be covered by the interest earned on the accumulated cash balances of Easy Pass cards, which currently totals 100 million baht.
Of this compensation, 40% will go to the concessionaire Bangkok Expressway and Metro PLC (BEM), with the remaining 60% going to EXAT.
Surachet believes the incentive will be a success, helping EXAT achieve its goal of increasing Easy Pass usage from the current 55% to 70%.
This aligns with the authority's plan to convert more cash lanes to Easy Pass lanes, increasing the proportion from 40% to 70% within the next two years.
If the number of Easy Pass users does not grow, these new lanes would sit empty, and congestion would persist.
In related news, Surachet confirmed that the proposal to reduce tolls on the Ngam Wong Wan-Rama IX section of the Si Rat Expressway to no more than 50 baht is still being considered by the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Policy Committee.
He added that the policy for the M-Flow automatic toll collection system on expressways has been discontinued.
