Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha tested the automatic ticketing system on a Bangkok bus yesterday before the new fare-taking machines will be launched on 800 Bangkok buses on Nov. 1.
The automated payment system will allow low-income earners to ride the bus by tapping their welfare cards to use the funds in their accounts, Prachachart reported.
The machines should also read Mangmoom cards, the much-anticipated common ticketing system for Bangkok public transportation that has been delayed indefinitely. But, until then, the non-welfare receiving public will have to pay for bus fare by inserting coins into the machine.
Prayuth expressed concern that paying bus fare at the new automatic machines might slow down the boarding process and worsen commuter traffic. Therefore, officials are trying to make sure citizens know where to tap their card and how to use the machine.
