Fees temporarily cut at 2 expressway ramps

[Nereus]

Another "Thai logic" demonstration! 50 Baht notes are quite common, 45 Baht rare. 60 Baht is easy, but from what I experience many drivers do not even attempt to tender the correct change. And now they seem to think that introducing a 5 Baht into it will make it better?????? Why not open more Easy Pass gates? And put the bloody things all on the one end of the toll barrier, not some in the middle, some at one end!
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Fees temporarily cut at 2 expressway ramps

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... sway-ramps

The Expressway Authority of Thailand will cut fees at two expressway ramps by five baht during morning rush hours for two months to promote more use of its Easy Pass card, which can help ease traffic jams in the areas.

The board on Thursday approved the measure, which applies to the fees at Dao Khanong ramp (from 50 to 45 baht) and inbound Prachachuen ramp (from 60 to 55 baht) between 5am and 9am on weekdays from Aug 1 to Sept 28.

The board also asked the authority to plan campaigns to promote Easy Pass use such as point collection or discounts on fees or products and services at partner stores.

Future plans include integration with credit and debit cards and co-tickets with other transport modes, fee deductions from bank accounts or e-payment providers.

The fee reduction at the two ramps followed the same measure at Asoke 4 ramp last year, which helped ease traffic congestion and reduce economic losses as a result of it. The authority, meanwhile, shouldered 1.6 million baht in lost revenue.

Easy Pass subscriptions have steadily risen, to 42% of all users, or 23 million vehicles, in June.

Easy Pass, an electronic toll-collection system which stores cash value in a transponder, was introduced in 2009.

Despite campaigns, it has yet to become mainstream among motorists, resulting in long queues at cash booths at many ramps. Possible reasons are a lack of incentives for motorists to store large sums of money in the device and fees charged by banks, which offer the most convenient way to refill it.

The authority said using Easy Pass was three times quicker. According to its statistics, cash booths clear 400 vehicles in an hour compared 1,200 by Easy Pass booths.

[caller]

The problem with easy pass is that the whole road can be blocked and you're stuck in any case until drivers get to the point where they start queuing. I must get one though!

[Nereus]

The problem with easy pass is that the whole road can be blocked and you're stuck in any case until drivers get to the point where they start queuing. I must get one though!

I don't use the expressways enough to bother getting a card. The one that I have been using lately has at least 10 gates, and there is only ever a queue at the cash gates. But the bottle neck there is cause by most drivers not tending the correct toll. Some of them seem to treat the booths as their own private ATM device! Make a few gates "correct toll only" and it would make a big difference. But then that would be to simple!

[Nereus]

Motorists offered B5 pass incentive

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... -incentive

Motorists using the easy pass are offered a five-baht discount for using the expressways operated by the Expressway Authority of Thailand (Exat) to persuade more people to use the pass to help alleviate long queues at the tollgates.

The Exat board has approved the discount, said Surong Bulakul, the board chairman.

Four-wheel vehicles equipped with easy passes entering the Dao Khanong tollgate on the Chalerm Maha Nakhon expressway will pay 45 baht instead of 50 baht for their toll fee.

Those originating from the inbound Prachachuen tollgate on the Srirat expressway will be charged 55 baht instead of 60 baht.

The discount applies from Monday to Friday between 5am to 9am, from Thursday to Sept 28.

Mr Surong said the discount is intended to promote the use of the pass which has proven successful in reducing long queues at tollgates during rush hours.

To add to the incentive, he said the Exat is studying possible schemes to draw more people to use the expressways.

Marketing campaigns may be launched in conjunction with airlines, petrol stations or retail stores where customers collect points from making purchases and paying for the services.

The points are then redeemed as a discount toward the toll fee or for getting free entry to the expressway.

A source at Exat said a two-month trial period on the easy pass discount offered to motorists using the Asok tollgate confirmed it helped shorten the queues of vehicles waiting to pay the toll fee.

The tailback was reduced from 4km to 1.6km during rush hours.