Walking back on its words that it would soon pull the plug on free buses and trains to save money, the military government has now decided it will extend the long-running program until April.
The free ride scheme, which is intended to help low-income earners, will continue until the end of April while the government works out the criteria of who will be eligible for the service and how it will identify them.
The project, which provides hundreds of free buses in Bangkok and nearly 200 economy class trains every day, currently serves the general public and foreign visitors, who are not its target group.
The Ministry of Transport plans to call on low-income earners and children under 12 years old to register for a monthly ticket for either discounts or exemptions from bus and train fares. However, the measure has not yet been announced, state media reported.
In July, the junta initially planned to cease the free rides in November as it had been a heavy financial burden. It had planned to offer a half-price discount for citizens who earn less than THB3,632 per month as well as the elderly, disabled and children under 12 years old.
Students in middle school (Mathayom 1 – 3) would pay a third of the full fare and high school students two-thirds, which would have been very confusing for conductors during rush hours.
Photo: Junpei Abe
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