BTS skytrain to raise fares in Oct

BANGKOK, Aug 29 (TNA) – BTS skytrain will increase fares by 1-3 baht, effective on Oct 1, partly due to high operating costs for maintenance and service improvement. The fares will be raised from 15-42 baht to 16-44 baht, which is still lower than the ceiling under the concession contracts. The new rate will be applied to the Sukhumvit line and the Silom line under concessions, excluding the extension routes, said Surapong Laoha-Unya, chief operating officer of Bangkok Mass Transit System Plc (BTSC). For the 30-day pass tickets for both general commuters and students, the fares will be raise by one baht per trip. This is the third time the BTS has raised the fares since it started operation in 1999. Citing the higher operating costs for the fare hike, the company has improving the skytrain service. It purchased additional 184 train carriages for 46 trains or four carriages for each train. The new carriages will be delivered to Thailand at the beginning of next year. It will also install more 50 ticket vending machines, which can receive banknotes next year and plans to install automatic platform screen doors at more stations. (TNA)