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Fresh bus fare hikes anger poor

Say wage increases will be made meaningless

POST REPORTERS

The latest sharp increase in bus fares in Bangkok, given the nod by the Transport Ministry yesterday, has raised the ire of low-income workers who say it will wipe out their minimum wage hike due to kick in next month.

The ministry has allowed passenger buses in Bangkok to hike their fares by between one to 1.50 baht out of sympathy for the bus operators who cannot cope with soaring diesel prices.

The fare hikes are expected to take effect by May 25 after being formally endorsed by the central transport committee on May 20, the ministry said.

Songsak: 'Can't put a lid on fares any more''

Deputy Transport Minister Songsak Thongsri said he agreed that bus operators, the state-run Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) and the concessionaires, could no longer put a lid on fares as diesel prices had surged past 35 baht a litre.

For non-airconditioned buses, mainly serving low-income earners, the fare will go up by 1.50 baht. Red-cream buses will charge 8.50 baht, up 21% from seven baht now and blue-cream buses 10 baht from 8.50 baht, up almost 18%.

Fares for air-conditioned buses will rise by one baht, from 12-24 baht to 13-25 baht depending on distance.

He urged commuters to understand that bus operators could not survive without the fare hikes.

Chairat Sa-nguansue, acting director-general of the Land Transport Department, said that normally it would take 10 days for fare increases to take effect but this has been shortened as operators are really in trouble.

Mr Songsak said his ministry will encourage operators to switch to natural gas for vehicles (NGV) to cut costs.

The BMTA will rent NGV buses which will replace its old diesel guzzlers.

The BMTA currently operates around 3,500 buses on 115 routes

Mr Songsak said the the BMTA would rent 6,500 NGV-powered buses in six months. A bigger fleet would better serve commuters as the number of routes could be raised to 300.

Prasong Tanmaneewatana, director-general of the Marine Department, said Bangkok passenger boat operators also demanded a fare hike of two baht for commuter boats and 50 satang for ferries across the Chao Phraya river. They also want a one-baht increase for passenger boats on the Saen Saeb canal.

The demands would be discussed in the next few weeks, he said.

Low-income earners cried foul over the latest bus fare hikes. They insisted that the government's sympathy for the bus operators is pushing them closer to the financial brink.

Nonglak Buakam, 39, a factory worker, said the bus fare hikes would make his minimum daily wage increase _ granted on Labour Day and due to take effect on June 1 _ meaningless.

Her wage increase was nine baht, the rate for Bangkok and its surrounding provinces. Wage hikes vary from two to 11 baht depending on the province.

''I was upbeat that the daily wage is going up nine baht. And then the government said it was pushing up bus fares,'' complained Ms Nonglak, who said she would need to pay at least six baht more for bus tickets a day and even more if she changes buses often.

Ms Nonglak said the government should have frozen bus fares to help poor people.

A bus conductor, who asked not to be named, said many commuters take at least four to eight buses to get to and from their destinations.

''The increase may look small but the connections will cost them over 100 baht more a month.

''It's a lot of money if you are a low-income worker,'' he said.

Prattapas Wanichkul, 30, a company employee, said with getting around and eating becoming more expensive, he could no longer save. He even has to borrow from friends to make ends meet.

Waiwit Thongthorngkham, 35, who works in a bank, said a salaried employee who earned slightly over 10,000 baht a month and had to rent a room would easily run up debts. He complained that the government should help low-income earners instead of playing politics.

Saowanee Kaewkao, 25, a clothes vendor in the Ratchadamri area and a regular boat commuter, said she can live with the two-baht fare increase for public boats because oil prices have been constantly going up.

''Boat is still the best way to travel and operators need to increase fares so the service can survive,'' she said.

Paksita Wangcharoensub, a third-year student at Mahidol University and a public boat and bus commuter, said she spent 80 baht a day on transport.

''What can I do when the oil price keeps going up?'' said Ms Paksita.

Meanwhile, Thai transport operators in the far South are trying to survive high fuel costs by refuelling with much cheaper petrol from Malaysia.

Jeh-ad Longkunan, a passenger bus operator in Muang district of Satun province, said he and his colleagues could survive thanks to Malaysian diesel that cost 15-16 baht a litre, compared with the 35-36 baht at local petrol stations that they could not afford.

He asked local authorities to be lenient with local bus operators who cross to Malaysia to buy cheaper fuel.

National oil giant PTT Plc will raise all retail oil prices by 50 satang a litre from today in line with the international spike in oil prices. Its move follows recent increases by foreign oil firms.

Bangkok Post