TRANSPORT
AMORNRAT MAHITTHIROOK
The Central Administrative Court yesterday ruled against a request by a consumer group seeking an injunction to delay express boat and ferry fare increases. The judges said the fair hikes, which will apply to express boats and ferries in the Chao Phraya river and passenger boats in the Saen Saep canal, are in line with increasing oil prices.
The group, calling itself an anti-public transport fare increase network, asked the court to put a brake on fare hikes to avoid adding new burdens to consumers. The new fare rates took effect on June 25.
Passengers have to pay between one and two baht more for express boat services on the Chao Phraya river.
Under the new rates, yellow-flagged boats charge between 22 and 31 baht, orange-flagged boats charge a flat rate of 17 baht, while ordinary boats charge between 11 and 15 baht.
Those using ferry services are required to pay 0.50 baht more.
New ferry fares are between 3 and 4 baht a trip.
In Saen Saep canal, the fare increases are by two baht _ from 10-20 baht to 12-22 baht depending on the distance travelled.
The anti-public transport fare increase network is planning to file a petition to the Administrative Court asking the court to suspend the taxi fare hike after the government allowed taxi-meter operators to increase their fares for the first time in 16 years, effective on Thursday.
Taxis will charge passengers at the old price until they can reset the meters to comply with the new charge rate, expected in a week.
Companies selling taxi meters yesterday decided to reduce service fees on resetting the meters after complaints about high fees.
They agreed to to reduce the fees from between 500 and 800 baht to 380-600 baht, said Pongchai Kasemtawisak, director for vehicle tax and registration of the Department of Land Transport.
His department called an urgent meeting with nine companies yesterday.
The companies agreed with the discounts, which vary in accordance with meter brands.
Most companies have sent their meter models to the Mahanakorn University of Technology for examination. The university will create software for them to reset the meters. The process is expected to take about one week.
The new fares will be applied once all taxi meters are reset.
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