The Thai Transport Ministry is revising its recently updated bus route numbers due to feedback from disgruntled passengers who found the changes confusing. Transport Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit said the revision would eliminate the dash between zone and route numbers to simplify the system for commuters.
The move comes in the wake of alterations made to bus routes in Greater Bangkok last month as part of an initiative to reform the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA), which included renumbering routes such as bus No.59 to 1-8, where the initial digit denoted the service area and “E” indicated expressway usage. These modifications, however, have been met with widespread criticism for their ambiguity and insufficient dissemination of information to the public.
In response to the outcry seen on social media and the BMTA’s Facebook page, the minister has proposed a more intuitive numbering, for example, changing bus No.1-15 to 115, though the implementation date remains unspecified.
The new system has also faced opposition from the House Committee on Economic Development and the BMTA labor union, both of which have demanded a return to the original numbering, citing the confusion it has caused among passengers and arguing against the reform’s effectiveness. (NNT)
