The 50% fare discount for the Purple Line electric train has helped boost the number of commuters by 10%, however, the figures are still far below the original and intended target.
The incentive has attracted a daily average of 2,000 extra passengers, a small increase on the disappointing number of 20,000, Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA) governor Peerayudh Singpatanakul said yesterday.
Before the service opened on Aug 6, the MRTA had an ambitious goal of drawing at least 100,000 people a day to the new service, transporting them between Nonthaburi's Khlong Bang Phai terminal and Bangkok's Tao Poon station on 23km of elevated track.
However, the highly inconvenient 1km "missing link" between Tao Poon and Bang Sue stations, the latter being connected with the Blue Line which offers a service through to Hua Lamphong station, is believed to be a factor driving away passengers. They are currently forced to take shuttle buses between the two stations, or the older diesel-powered trains operated by the SRT to connect to other stations.
Many commuters have also complained that the new route takes too long and the cost of travel is too high.
These factors have prompted the MRTA, which runs the Purple Line, to cut fares for passengers holding the refillable MRT Plus pass from a range of 14-42 to 14-29 baht, or a decrease from two to one baht a station since Sept 1. The route has a total of 16 stations.
"We need time to change their travelling behaviour," Mr Peerayudh said, adding the MRTA will continue introducing new incentives and promotions to bolster the number of commuters.
But in the long term, it will clear up technical problems to allow passengers to travel seamlessly from Tao Poon to Bang Sue, especially when the new Tha Phra-Bang Sue Blue Line extension, which also connects Tao Poon with Bang Sue stations, opens for service.