Deputy Transport Minister Suchart Chokechaiwattanakorn yesterday warned green minibuses, which didn't meet the authority's requirements, not to take passengers around Bangkok or they would face the licence revocation and the permanent ban.
Suchart said they had prepared sufficient orange-coloured NGVpowered minibuses to support commuters hence this ultimatum would not affect the public. Expressing that protest by operators was unlikely, he however prepared by contacting police and having haul trucks ready in case of a roadblocking protest.
The Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) would also have service training for minibus drivers and conductors, he said affirming that the improved buses and service won't lead to fare hike unless oil or NGV price soared. Suchart also revealed that BMTA operations continued to suffer loss with about some Bt60 billion in accumulated debts, hence the ministry tried to implement costcutting measures.
BMTA Manager Opas Petchmunee said they had prepared 100 buses to support passengers because about 200 minibuses stopped running due to substandard conditions.
