The Office of Transport, Traffic Policy and Planning (OTP) hopes to introduce its new "Common Ticket Project" which will allow commuters to carry one ticket for access to transport services across the board, despite each having different service providers.

Maitree Srinarawat, OTP director general, said negotiations were underway with public-transport operators, including Bangkok Mass Transit System (BTS), Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA) and Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA), to study and develop the common ticket.

The common ticket will be embedded with a radio frequency identification (RFID) chip, enabling people to store and renew electronic money on it easily.

Using the new ticket, people will be able to pay for their fare at any public transport station or stop. When passengers pass through the gate, they will just tap their common ticket onto the RFID reader embedded in the gate. Money registered on the ticket will be automatically deducted according to the fare.

Maitree said a clearing house is required to develop the new type of ticket. There are several models being considered for the clearing house, but no decision has been finalised.

"Imagine how much easier it will be to use this ticket. With just one ticket, you can pass through anywhere," said Maitree.

The common ticket system will also help public transport operators improve their management. Instead of each operator having to issue a large number of tickets, this project will help them consolidate the issuing process," Maitree said.

BTS issues around 15 million tickets per month while MRT issues six million tickets every month. BMTA, meanwhile, issues 80 million tickets a month.

Asina Pornwasin

The Nation