A plan to cap fares on all of Greater Bangkok's mass transit lines at 20 baht is projected to be completed by September next year, with the Green, Gold and Airport Rail Link lines to be the last on the list.
Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit said on Friday the new fare regime would cover all routes by that time.
His new projection was unveiled only two weeks after the minister said the government would roll out the 20-baht cap across all of Greater Bangkok rail networks by March 2026. He was speaking on June 13 after a meeting with the Common Ticketing System Policy Committee.
Mr Suriya intends the cheap ticket policy to promote ridership on the mass transit lines and to make sure they are accessible to all people.
Greater Bangkok has eight lines in operation. The necessary compensation for lost revenue from the fare cap on all eight would be around 8 billion baht, according to the minister, who did not say whether the amount was one-time or annual payments.
New lines to be in service after this policy need to specify in the contract that they would collect no more than 20 baht for each fare, he added.
The Transport Ministry kicked off the 20-baht ticket price limit with the Purple and Red lines in September last year. Data from mid-October to the end of May showed the number of riders on the two lines combined rose by 18% to 20.86 million.
The Pink and Yellow lines would be added around June next year and the last three services - the Green, Gold and Airport Rail Link - are expected to follow by September 2025.
The minister said the ministry would push the draft bill on the common ticketing system to the cabinet for approval so that it could become law and be effective next year.
The mass transit lines are operated by three companies - Bangkok Mass Transit System Plc, Bangkok Expressway and Metro Plc (Bem) and the State Railway of Thailand. Each has their own money-collecting system. Fares start at 16 or 17 baht, depending on the route.
Mr Suriya hoped the ministry would use the annual ticket revenue from the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA) and the Energy Conservation and Promotion Fund to finance the losses for the operators.
The MRTA and Bangkok Metropolitan Administration are the owners of mass transit lines in Greater Bangkok.
The minister said Bem is still allowed to increase fares until the 20-baht cap fare is enforced. The new fare scheme for the Blue Line – from 17 to 45 baht – will start on July 3 after cabinet approval this month.