New fare system ready soon

New fare system ready soon

The government will introduce a common ticketing system for several modes of public transport in Bangkok in March, Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob has said.

The scheme is also known as Automated Fare Collection.

He said the Joint Ticketing System Policy Committee has informed him that the development of the new system is back on track, after being delayed for months due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The system is a co-development of the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand and Krungthai Bank. It will involve a card based on the Europay, Mastercard and Visa (EMV) standard.

The aim is to help commuters with seamless and cashless payments, he said.

The card will be initially used for paying fares on the Chalong Ratchadham Line (MRT Purple Line), Chaloem Ratchamongkhon (MRT Blue Line), and the Red Line urban rail service operated by the State Railway of Thailand.

The EMV card is expected to be available in March, he said.

Further along, the card will be used on other modes of public transport, including Bangkok Mass Transit Authority buses, electric boats on the Chao Phraya River and the Airport Rail Link service.

As for the long-term plan, the ministry plans to integrate the Account-Based Ticketing (ABT) system with EMV technology to pay toll fares on expressways operated by the Expressway Authority of Thailand.

The ABT system will be implemented on the Si Rat, Udonratthaya, Kanchanaphisek and Chalermmahanakorn expressways.

Mr Saksayam has also told the Highways Department to increase registration channels for the new M-Flow system to be introduced in January. The technology will use licence plate detectors to match vehicle information in the licence registration database. The system will bill motorists every month to post-pay without the assistance of barriers and toll booths, the minister said.

Krungthai Bank has been asked to study the M-Flow service in order to connect it with EMV for credit card and debit card payment in the future.

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