B20 fare a 'short-term painkiller'
Samart Ratchapolsitte, who also ranks as a former deputy governor of Bangkok for Public Works and Traffic, described the policy as a "short-term painkiller" introduced ahead of upcoming elections.
He questioned how long the government could maintain the scheme amid budgetary and operational challenges.
The cabinet recently approved the policy, which will run from Oct 1 to Sept 30 next year. It aims to reduce living costs and encourage commuters to shift from private vehicles to public transport.
Registration will open next month via the state-developed Tang Rat app, while QR code payments via the app are planned for the future.
However, budgetary concerns loom large, he said.
The government allocated 5.6 billion baht for the first year, lower than earlier estimates of around 8 billion baht, which included subsidies for agencies such as the State Railway of Thailand, Mass Rapid Transit Authority, and Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), plus 156 million baht for a central revenue management system.
The BMA alone reports needing 11 billion baht in compensation, indicating a significant shortfall as the allocated budget covers less than a quarter of this requirement.
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