Meeting today on joint ticketing

Permanent secretary Suphot Sublom said the ministry would meet with several agencies and operators - including the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning, the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA), Bangkok Metro and Bangkok Mass Transit System (BTS) - to discuss how to speedily bring in a joint ticketing system for use on the Skytrain, the subway and the BMTA's public buses, as well as the express boats of Chao Phraya Express Boat Co.

A unified system would enable commuters to conveniently use a single card for all of Bangkok's main transport systems. The operators could also benefit by jointly launching promotional campaigns.

Last November, the ministry hosted the signing of a memorandum of understanding between BTS, Bangkok Metro, the State Railway of Thailand and the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand to jointly develop a unified ticketing system. However, the project has until now made no progress.