Beginning on December 1, riders on the MRT’s Purple Line will only be have to pay a maximum fee of 20 Baht per journey thanks to a decision made by the Mass Rapid Transit Authority (MRTA) board.
According to MRTA governor Pakapong Sirikantaramas, the new rate would only be available to riders who pay with credit cards using a contactless payment method.
According to him, the discount is not available to individuals who pay for their train price with cash or other cards, including prepaid cards or a one-day pass.
There are 16 stations along the 23-kilometer Purple Line, which connects Tao Pun with Bang Yai in Nonthaburi.
The action comes in response to the SRT board’s last week decision to set a 20 baht fare cap for the 41-km Red Line.
The MRTA and SRT fee reductions are in line with the Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit’s plan to test a 20-baht fare on the Red Line and Purple Line as a “New Year’s present” for the general public.
According to Mr. Pakapong, the Purple Line’s current fare ranges from 14 to 42 baht. The increased fare rate is anticipated to increase the average daily passenger count by 17%, or to 66,000, from the current 56,000, he said.
But according to estimates, the MRTA will lose 190 million baht annually due to the new pricing, he said.
He added that the MRTA earns 350 million baht in revenue sharing from the MRT’s Blue Line, but the organization will refrain from asking the government for a subsidy and use its money from the MRT’s Blue Line to offset the financial loss.
Mr. Pakapong claims that the economic benefit of 900 million baht from a reduction in fuel use, travel time, pollution, and accident risk makes up for the revenue loss.
According to Mr. Pakapong, the Transport Ministry would review the MRTA board’s decision before sending it to the cabinet for final approval.
