Micro buses to replace passenger vans in Thailand

BANGKOK, May 11 (TNA) - The Thai government plans to replace passenger vans with micro buses in the country for the sake of more public safety. Deputy Permanent Secretary for Transport Somsak Hommuang told journalists that under the plan, his ministry will provide financial support for owners or operators of passenger vans who each needs a budget of 1.7-2.2 million baht to purchase a micro bus by cash. Somsak said Deputy Transport Minister Dr. Pichit Akrathit will chair a meeting of parties concerned, including representatives of the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA), the Transport Co.,Ltd., the Ministry of Finance and the Thai Credit Guarantee Corporation (TCG), in Bangkok on May 15 to discuss the plan in details. Somsak revealed he has been assigned to look into the plan and initially found that owners or operators of passenger vans need at least a down payment of 30 per cent of the price of a micro bus and a monthly repayment of a loan plus a 3-5 per cent lending interest rate for about three years. According to the senior official, owners or operators of micro buses will each have about four years to be free from the debt obligation and to make profits based on the existing seven-year legal time frame for public service of a micro bus. The senior official noted that at least 60 per cent of load factor for a micro bus trip is needed for owners or operators to economically survive and his ministry will, thus, provide additional support for them in terms of planning and setting of potential routes. A recent survey found, meanwhile, that part of passenger vans' operators expressed their interest in the plan if its implementation period is set for a long term basis (TNA)