The government plans to impose a congestion charge of 40-50 baht on motorists who enter inner Bangkok streets to raise money to subsidise a flat 20-baht fare policy for all electric rail lines in Greater Bangkok.
Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit said the pay-to-drive charge would be similar to the one successfully used in seven cities in Britain, including London, and could be at 40-50 baht in the first five years.
Singapore has also used electronic road pricing since 1998. Gantry-mounted readers scan vehicle tags, with fees ranging from S$1-6 (25 to 150 baht) depending on distance travelled, prevailing traffic volumes and other factors.
Mr Suriya said the congestion charge could be imposed on streets where there are electric rail lines, such as Ratchadaphisek, Silom and Sukhumvit roads, which are used by about 700,000 vehicles daily.
Charging drivers, he said, should reduce vehicle numbers on those roads to 600,000 a day, while the government should be able to collect about 10 billion baht a year in fees.
To realise the goal of a 20-baht maximum flat fare across all systems, Mr Suriya has also recommended the government buy out existing concessionaires and let them continue to operate their systems.
He estimated the cost of buying back the concessions at 200 billion baht, with funds to be raised from investors and subsidised with the congestion charge.
Mr Suriya said a consultancy would be hired to study the plan, with details expected to be available by mid-2025.
The congestion charge could also encourage motorists to use public transit systems and reduce air pollution in Bangkok, he said.
The 20-baht flat fare has been pioneered on the Bang Sue-Rangsit and Bang Sue-Taling Chan sections of the Red Line and the Taopoon-Bang Yai section of the Purple Line since Oct 16, 2023.
At present, fares range from 14 to 62 baht depending on the railway operator and travel distances.