OIL PRICE PROTESTS

Up to 10,000 buses could stay off road

AMORNRAT MAHITTHIROOK

Owners of up to 10,000 private buses, minibuses and songtaew buses that run on diesel have threatened to stop services today in protest against high oil prices.

Private bus operators have also threatened to gather in protest in front of the Transport Ministry.

They will hand three demands to Transport Minister Santi Prompat, accordsing to Chatchai Chaiwiset, president of the Private Bus Service Development Association.

They want a subsidy for diesel prices above the 27.34 baht per litre used to fix current bus fares, and an exemption from the 35 baht fee for each non-airconditioned bus and 60 baht fee for each airconditioned bus which they must pay the BMTA.

They also want the government to rectify the shortage of NGV refuelling points.

''If our calls go unheeded, we must keep our buses idle. We cannot wait even three or four more days,'' he said.

The Central Administrative Court on Tuesday issued a temporary injunction against bus fare hikes which took effect on Sunday while it hears a case filed by a consumer group against the increases.

Mr Chatchai said the operators are ready to face whatever penalties the Transport Ministry imposes for stopping service, because they could not afford to shoulder any more losses, he said.

They will appeal to the court to let the fare rises go ahead on Monday.

He maintained that only 1,700 out of 12,000 private buses in the city were converted to run on natural gas (NGV).

The consumer group which appealed against the fare rises cited the cost of living and the trend for buses to convert to NGV in arguing why they should not go ahead.

BMTA director Pinetr Puapatanakul held an urgent meeting yesterday to prepare for the private buses' strike.

''We have 400 reserve buses and we can rent more buses from the Transport Co, enough to serve commuters,'' he said. There are 3,508 private buses running on 119 routes in Greater Bangkok and 3,535 BMTA buses on 108 routes. Private and BMTA buses overlap on many routes.

Private bus operators who suspend services would be fined 2,000 baht and their concessions could be terminated.

Minister Santi said he understood private operators' suffering, but they must respect the court's order.

The government would find other measures to help.

Deputy Transport Minister Songsak Thongsri said the BMTA board may buy 6,000 NGV buses urgently. They could be in service in seven months.

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