Toll fees capped at 50 baht on inner Bangkok expressways from Jan
Toll fees for inner Bangkok expressways (Chaloem Maha Nakhon and Si Rat) will be reduced to a maximum of 50 baht from January next year, Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit said on Tuesday.
The planned reduction comes after the Expressway Authority of Thailand (EXAT) and Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTP) were tasked with considering new guidelines to facilitate travel and reduce motorists’ financial burden.
The first phase of the toll fee reduction will begin on inner Bangkok’s expressways.
Suriya said the fee cut resulted from talks between EXAT and Si Rat Expressway’s concessionaire, Bangkok Expressway and Metro (BEM).
The reduction would be reflected in contracts for the expressway’s second stage and Bang Pa-in-Pak Kret expressway project under the Public-Private Partnership Act, he added.
The contracts are due to be signed in December, followed by the toll fee reduction in January 2025.
Suriya said the ministry would initially suspend the toll plazas at Pracha Chuen [outbound] and Asoke 3 while increasing the number of electronic toll booths to ensure smooth and faster travel.
The toll reduction will cover Chaloem Maha Nakhon and Si Rat expressways, used by 968,150 vehicles per day last year, accounting for 56% of the 1.71 million vehicles on all expressways.
As well as 50-baht cap, travel time on inner Bangkok expressways would be cut by 30 minutes per journey, Suriya said. This move would reduce total travel expenses by between 1.2 billion and 3 billion baht a year, boosting money in circulation as people could use cash saved on toll fees to purchase goods.
It would also help cut greenhouse gas emissions and PM2.5 air pollution, improve quality of life, and reduce expenses for related medical treatment, he added.
EXAT will also hold talks with BEM on expanding the concession for the 34-billion-baht construction of a double-deck Ngam Wong Wan-Rama IX expressway to curb traffic jams in the inner Bangkok, Suriya said.
The proposed contract amendment will be vetted by the Public-Private Partnership Policy Committee before being put to Cabinet.
Suriya said the concession extension was transparent, lawful and had been drawn up in the public interest, not to favour private agencies.
