'Progress' in joint rail ticketing bid
Mr Suriya said the changes to the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA) Act and the Joint Ticketing System Management Act -- which will facilitate the establishment of a joint ticketing support fund -- will be submitted to the House of Representatives by Aug 7.
Once the amendments are approved by the House, the revised acts will be put up for a public hearing, as required by the law.
Under the proposed system, the MRTA will transfer revenues from managing the city's rapid transit network to the Ministry of Finance, which will then compensate private rail operators for losses incurred under the 20-baht fare policy.
The compensation will be calculated based on actual passenger data, Mr Suriya said.
He said he was confident that the MRTA would be able to generate enough revenue to sustain the scheme, which the government hopes will help lower living costs, promote the use of public transport, and reduce congestion, accidents, and pollution in the capital.
He also reaffirmed the government's commitment to implementing the 20-baht policy by Oct 1.
The initiative will cover eight electric rail lines in Bangkok and its suburbs, which span over 276.84 kilometres of tracks and 194 stations.
Mr Suriya said he held a meeting with Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt and private rail concessionaires last week, during which all stakeholders expressed strong support for the scheme.
A source at the Ministry of Transport noted that the policy's success hinges on the timely enactment of three legislative measures.
They are the Railway Transport Act, which sets regulatory standards for the sector; the Joint Ticketing System Management Act, which creates a unified fare system across public transit; and the MRTA Amendment Act, which permits the agency to use its revenue, especially from the profitable MRT Blue Line, to subsidise less profitable services, such as the Red Line, Airport Rail Link, Green Line, and Gold Line, through the new fund.
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