E-ticket bus service will start this October

BANGKOK, Sept 21 (TNA) -- Main Bangkok commuter bus operator will begin E-ticket service on its 800 buses in the first phase on October 1. Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) has already installed e-ticket readers on 200 buses and will, by year’s end install on the rest of 600 buses, which, in the meantime, will use smartphones to read the data on welfare electronic cards. The service is offered for welfare card holders for poor people who have been registered with authorities. Acting BMTA Director Prayoon Choygeo said that on October 1 the BMTA would also stop providing the current free bus rides to the general public. From that date only poor people would be able to use the welfare cards to ride BMTA buses for free. During the first two years of the e-ticket system, bus conductors would still be needed on buses, Mr Prayoon said. Under the government scheme, eligible people who have registered will receive their welfare cards for poor people on Thursday, but only some of them will be able to use the cards for free bus rides. All BMTA buses are expected to be installed with the automatic fare system by June next year. (TNA)