Rosana Tositrakul, a former candidate for Bangkok governor, on Wednesday called on Bangkok city council to not take on ownership of two sections of the Green Line to avoid incurring a massive financial burden that would hamper any attempts to lower train fares.
In a letter lodged with the council president and 50 district councillors, Ms Rosana said the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) should not accept ownership of the Bearing-Samut Prakan and Mo Chit-Saphan Mai-Khu Khot sections.
The sections were built by the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA) at an estimated total cost of 53 billion baht.
If the BMA takes ownership of these sections, it would have to shoulder huge debts incurred through construction and operating costs and would be forced to extend the concession for operating the main section of the Green Line for another 30 years, she said.
The BMA will regain full ownership of the main section when the concession for operating it ends in 2029.
Ms Rosana said that with only operational and maintenance costs to shoulder, the BMA could lower the fares and help make the city's electric-rail system accessible to all when the concession ends.
But if the concession is extended for another 30 years, city commuters will keep paying high train fares, she said.
Ms Rosana said the Bangkok city council members could face a malfeasance charge if they voted to accept ownership of the sections which run through some parts of Pathum Thani and Samut Prakan.
The former senator also endorsed governor Chadchart Sittipunt's idea that the entire Green Line network should be handed over to the government for management and operated by a single operator.
She said if the Green Line and other electric rail systems, which have a combined length of 499 kilometres, are managed and run by a single operator, train services would be cheaper and more efficient.
Ms Rosana also urged the council to reject the planned collection of fares on the sections until the ownership issue is settled.
Mr Chadchart had submitted to the council a proposal setting new fares on the Bearing-Samut Prakan and Mo Chit-Saphan Mai-Khu Khot sections. However, the issue was withdrawn for further review.