Bus reform must have public input

Bus reform must have public input

As expected, confusion reigns over a planned bus reform which features the modifications of bus routes across the city. Most passengers turned a cold shoulder to eight new city bus routes introduced by the Department of Land Transport last Tuesday, claiming they were inconvenient. The rerouted buses, with different colourful fronts from the old red and cream bodies so familiar to Bangkok commuters, are to be given a test run for a one-month period. During the trial period, they will run in parallel with the original buses.

The reform, which will see new 269 bus routes across the capital -- divided into four operation zones signified by the colours green, red, yellow and blue -- has received strong public criticism from the beginning. More importantly, the labour union of the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority has complained that, despite its experience, it was excluded from the reform plan.

The union was concerned that some private operators may benefit from the reform plan. It urged the government to suspend the plan and to invite more public participation.

Critics have also questioned the use of alphanumeric sets -- for example, G59E -- to replace the old numbering and of a colour-coded system to signify respective operation zones. They claim the changes are useless to passengers.

In particular, the use of English letters is deemed most irrelevant given that many passengers are those with a low-education background, and it is apparent the alphanumerics have nothing to do with service improvement.

While the use of English letters may give an impression that the plan is to accommodate foreign passengers, it turns out that some foreign residents have complained that signage on the experimental buses is available only in Thai and that they are equally as confused as local people.

Sanit Promwong, chief of the Department of Land Transport, in an attempt to appease frustrated passengers, said the reform would not take abrupt effect. Instead, he said the total bus reform process would take two years to complete and it is a "learning process". The department chief pledges to pay attention to public opinion. The agency has set up a separate Facebook page called "Bus Reroute BKK" where the public can give feedback.

Mr Sanit conceded that the comments so far have been mostly negative. He said new buses will eventually be equipped with GPS tracking systems to track buses' locations and make use of e-tickets, to ease commuting for the public. The main objective of bus reform is to stop the monopolisation of buses in Bangkok by opening auctions for private companies to invest in new routes. He said this shift in exclusive bus registration rights will improve the overall quality of public buses because more companies will compete to win a concession.

In fact, the worrisome part about this reform lies in a part regarding a plan to cut short some routes, from an average of 31km to 28km, and also a plan to remove some bus routes that overlap rail lines.

The department reasoned that the longer routes mean a bus has to take longer to complete its round, and that results in passengers suffering a long wait. What the department didn't say is that the shortened route means passengers would have to make more connections on the road before they get to their destination. If that is the case, passengers will have to pay for more bus fares and, worse, they may end up waiting even longer given the time it will take to get on connecting buses.

With regard to overlapping routes, while the proposed revamp seems justified, the department must not forget that the passengers of bus and rail systems are different groups with different levels of income.

Most bus passengers cannot afford electric train fares, which are relatively costly. To remove the overlapping routes will deal a heavy blow to this group of people.

The idea about reform, with a scheme to improve efficiency, is noteworthy as Bangkok's bus service has long been in a sorry state and really needs a revamp.

A series of rail lines that will be launched in the next few years will increase the need to change bus routes so that buses can play a role of feeder. If removal of overlapping routes is not avoidable, the Department of Land Transport and the government must adopt a policy to make the rail system more affordable to the majority. That way, the system will truly be mass transit as its name suggests.

More importantly, reform should not focus only on route modifications. Instead, the department should aim to make city buses more convenient and reliable to users. But if it cannot make the rail system cheaper, the bus service should remain a reliable and practical choice for the majority.

Mr Sanit should keep his promise that the Department of Land Transport will listen to all the feedback and make the reform a truly successful experience.

Editorial

Bangkok Post editorial column

These editorials represent Bangkok Post thoughts about current issues and situations.

Email : anchaleek@bangkokpost.co.th

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