Passengers on Yellow Line decrease on first day of commercial operation
The number of passengers using the new elevated MRT Yellow Line dropped significantly on its first day of commercial operation, going from an average of 79,575 people per trip on Sunday to just 45,135 per trip on Monday, according to the Department of Rail Transport.
Travel on the Yellow Line was free from June 3 along 13 stations before the service was extended to all 23 stations on June 19.
Fares range from 15 to 45 baht.
Pichet Kunathammarak, director-general of the department, has offered a discount, saying that anyone who pays with an EMV (Europay, Mastercard, and Visa) card will receive a discount of 15 baht on the so-called flag fall (fixed initial charge) fee when switching from the Blue Line to the Yellow Line and a discount of 14 baht when switching from the Yellow Line to the Blue Line.
Pichet said that anyone paying with EMV cards would initially be charged the full amount, but the fee will be reimbursed within three days.
The Yellow Line operates daily and runs every five minutes during rush hours (7am to 10am and 5pm to 8pm) and every ten minutes outside of those times, he added.
The Yellow Line spans 30.4 kilometres from northern Bangkok to Samut Prakan in the southern suburbs. The route starts at the Ratchada-Lat Phrao intersection near MRT Lat Phrao station and terminates at Samrong Station at the Sukhumvit intersection.
