By Suchada Tupchai
Since January of this year the citizens of Pattaya have
waited anxiously to witness the launch of the new bus services that have
been on the drawing board for years, only to be told of constant
postponements due to various reasons, including claims that bus stops were
not ready on time.
On the 23rd of August the Beach Bus Company and city
hall finally put their act together and launched the bus services on a
trial basis on one route.
This whole affair, which has caught our imagination,
began when the Traffic and Transport Development and Research Center (TDRC)
did a survey of the mass transportation system in Pattaya and recommended
that the bus services be introduced. It was, on a trial basis, earlier this
year.
On the first day of service 6 buses were used on the
Green Route plying along South Pattaya through Central Pattaya and on to
Sukhumvit Road. This route is considered the busiest of all routes for
commuters, both Thai and foreign.
Two weeks after the launch we did a survey and were
quite taken aback by the response to these services. We found that buses
were running with almost no passengers on them. On questioning the
citizenry of the reasons for not using the buses, most said that they had
no idea that these buses were actually in service. This points towards
inadequate public relations.
But what really turned the people away from using the
buses was the 30 baht fare. Even with the operator’s promotional campaign
saying that the buses are the most modern and the most comfortable way to
travel, the locals and tourists still shy away from them because of the
high bus fares.
With the prices of fuel skyrocketing, many are happy to
leave their personal vehicles at home and take the public transport, even
the infamous ‘songtaews’ (baht buses).
The introduction of the air-conditioned buses gave hope
to the citizenry that they were at last getting a modern mode of
transportation that is safe and that which would not be threatened too much
by the rising cost of fuel. But alas, on hearing of the fare on the new
service, most just shook their heads in dismay and resorted to the old
fashioned and dreaded mode of transport, namely on the ‘songtaews’.
This has caused the city fathers and the bus operators
to dig out their abacuses and recalculate the fares to conform to the state
of the present economic situation of the people. They will also have to
revamp their PR campaign to invite commuters to use the new bus services,
convincing them that they will save money and at the same time help to
reduce traffic congestion in the city.
The intentions of the city fathers to look into the
future and create a better image of our city are commendable, but all these
projects must be done for the good of the people. To just create an image
for show, without being aware of the needs of the people who are the real
consumers the mass transportation project, would be considered non
productive and absolutely useless.
