The Democrat Party has voiced strong opposition to Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit’s proposal to grant a 30-year extension to the operator of the Don Muang Tollway in exchange for a fare reduction to 50 baht.
The 21-kilometre expressway runs from the Din Daeng area of Bangkok to the National Memorial in Pathum Thani’s Lam Luk Ka district.
The proposal follows the concessionaire’s plan to raise the fare by five to 10 baht for each section on Dec 22. This would lift the rate from 80 to 90 baht for the Din Daeng to Don Muang section and from 35 to 40 baht for the Don Muang to National Memorial section.
Mr Suriya reportedly claimed that the concession extension would ease the government’s financial burden, as it would be forced to compensate for reduced revenues from the lower toll.
Charnchai Issarasenarak, a former Democrat MP for Nakhon Nayok, said the proposal is poorly thought out because the concession expires in 2034, and the tollway will be transferred to the state.
“After that, motorists can use the expressway free of charge. If the concession is extended, the operator will continue collecting money for another 30 years,” he said.
Samart Ratchapolsitte, former deputy Bangkok governor, wrote on Facebook that state agencies usually negotiate with expressway operators to delay toll rises to help lower people’s cost of living. However, he said the minister’s plan is not in the public’s best interests. He said the concession extension would benefit motorists, but it means that the state cannot intervene in setting toll fares during the extended concession period. He said that if the expressway is transferred to the state after the concession ends, the state will have the freedom to lower fares.
According to the operator, the planned toll hikes are in line with toll adjustments allowed every five years under the concession deal. The toll will likely increase from 130 baht per trip to 145 baht per trip before the concession ends.
The operation would have been transferred to the state in 2014 under the 25-year original contract. However, from 2005 to 2006, the operator claimed it suffered financial losses after the government did not approve a fare hike, and traffic was reduced due to the opening of Suvarnabhumi Airport.
A dispute led to talks between the operator and the Highway Department in which the operator was finally allowed to operate the expressway for another 27 years and raise the fares as specified in the agreement.