[sustran] Re: (fwd) [UTSG] transport strategy transfer

[Jonathan E. D. Richmond]

Karl, I am not really talking about differences between the 4 baht and 5
baht buses (the 5 baht blue/white ones also being nonaircon), but between
the 4/5 baht buses and the 20 baht aircon ones. I am planning to get some
hard data, such as is available, over the summer, but the very fact that
the nonaircon buses run on the same routes as aircon ones and that crowds
of people will wait for the cheaper services to save money suggests that
price is an issue in choosing bus services as much as between bus and rail.

You will remember that the government representative at the recent UN
conference on BRT explicitly said he was not interested in keeping low
fares should premium services be provided. The trend in Thailand has been to
provide extremely low-quality services for the poor at low fares and to
price anything else much higher. It is politically difficult to increase the
cost of existing services, and there is a strong constituency for the 4
baht fare, but we have seen that when new services are introduced --
whether on the Skytrain, underground or with aircon buses, the
opportunity is taken to charge much more: amounts which are far beyond
the ability of people of low income to pay.

I am not saying BRT programs are bad -- they would bring important
benefits to Bangkok -- but I am warning that they may not be for the
masses as implemented in a Thai context.

I am going to have to get you to come and speak to my students at AIT
before long!!!

Best,

                 --Jonathan

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Jonathan E. D. Richmond                               02 524-5510 (office)
Visiting Fellow                               Intl.: 662 524-5510
Transportation Engineering program
School of Civil Engineering, Room N260B               02 524-8257 (home)
Asian Institute of Technology                 Intl.: 662 524-8257
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Thailand                                      Intl:  662 524-5509

e-mail: richmond at ait.ac.th               Secretary:  Ms. Nisarat Hansuksa
        richmond at alum.mit.edu		              02 524-6051
					      Intl:  662 524-6051
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