City trains not just for richWith pressure from the cabinet, Bangkok governor Aswin Kwanmuang on Tuesday decided to delay the controversial Green Line fare hike that entailed a 104-baht ceiling which was due to take effect next week. This is because train fares in the capital city are unaffordable. That may explain why the ridership of city trains accounts for 10% of total travel, even though the BTS came into service some 20 years ago and the MRT 17 years ago. However, studies by the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI) demonstrate that urban train fares are lower in Paris (5% of daily expenses), Tokyo (9%) and Chinese cities (3.1%). The big question is: How many people will use these electric trains when it is cheaper to ride individual cars, motorcycles and public vans?

Source: Bangkok Post February 12, 2021 23:37 UTC