Bangkok has announced plans to replace the city’s No. 8 buses later this year with a fleet of electric air-conditioned vehicles.
According to Bangkokbusclub.com, non-air-conditioned buses are being phased out as part of the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority’s (BMTA) bus service reform plan. The new buses will be designated with the numbers 2-38.
Recently, an auction was held to find an operator for the 20-kilometer route between Memorial Bridge (Saphan Phut) in the heart of Bangkok and Happyland Market in the Bang Kapi district. Thai Smile Bus Co. has been selected to provide the service for seven years, with the deployment of a fleet of air-conditioned electric buses set to take place in the coming months.
Thiraporn Methisariyapong, manager of bus operations for Thai Bus Transport, one of three companies contracted to operate the old No. 8 service, stated that the company sustained up to 30 million baht in losses during the lockdown and is now forced to close. She added that once the service is terminated, all vehicles will be disassembled and their parts sold.
Despite the fact that the BMTA’s bus operation plan has been praised by many, and following complaints of speeding and collisions on routes run by private operators granted concessions by the agency, a number of fare collectors, drivers, and staff at the No. 8 bus depot has claimed that the change affects their employment and ability to make a living. They intend to soon file a petition with the Administrative Court regarding the BMTA’s bus reform proposal. (NNT)
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