Says cash can be better spent spurring economy
CHATRUDEE THEPARAT AND AMORNRAT MAHITTHIROOK
The government is dropping the Samak cabinet's plan to lease 4,000 air-conditioned, gas-fuelled buses for Bangkok for 10 years.
The 62.5 billion baht could be better used to help prop up the economy, according to a cabinet source.
Prime Minister Somchai, his deputy Sanan Kachornprasart and Transport Minister Santi Promphat agreed during the cabinet's economic meeting yesterday to scrap the project because the government needs the money for essential spending to protect the economy, the source said.
The Samak Sundaravej administration approved the bus leasing scheme on Sept 2.
Mr Somchai told his cabinet ministers earlier that the project would be reviewed because the National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) had argued against it.
The board had warned the state would be at a disadvantage because it would have to buy bus terminals at a cost of five billion baht. The bus lessor would use the terminals for the 10 years and would then own them.
The transport minister yesterday confirmed the project would be reviewed because global oil prices were falling.
The bus leasing scheme was part of the Transport Ministry's plan to rehabilitate the loss-ridden, state-owned city bus agency, the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA).
Originally the ministry wanted the BMTA to spend 111.7 billion baht on leasing 6,000 buses from a single lessor to serve Bangkok commuters from mid next year onwards.
During the Samak government, a committee chaired by Maj-Gen Sanan Kachornprasart concluded that 6,000 buses were too many, because about 2,000 would be left idle outside rush hours.
The Sanan committee, which consulted the NESDB, also concluded it would be better to include the existing air-conditioned buses in the plan to improve city bus services.
The BMTA has 1,860 air-con buses and 1,670 ordinary buses in service.
The rehabilitation plan also includes the introduction of an electronic ticketing system for BMTA buses. This would allow a reduction in the workforce.
Mr Santi said electronic ticketing will go ahead. Bangkok's buses will be converted to use e-tickets and private bus operators invited to join the electronic system.
Chatchai Chaiwiset, a representative of private bus operators, supported the shelving of the bus leasing project. He said the government should let the private sector introduce gas-fueled buses.
If the BMTA is to run buses fueled with compressed natural gas, the government must assure first that PTT Plc has sufficient gas supply for both government and private buses.
Otherwise, government and private bus operators would have to compete for fuel, he said.
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