The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) will resume free electric boat services on the Phadung Krung Kasem Canal this Wednesday, after the suspension of the service last September.
The service is from Hua Lamphong railway station, through Bo Be market and Pan Fah Bridge to the Phra Sumen Fort in the Ratchadamnoen area, covering a distance of about five kilometres.
Krungthep Thanakom, an investment arm of the BMA, has been assigned to select a private company to operate the service. It is reported that the BMA has decided to cut the cost of operating the service from 2.4 million baht to 1.8 million baht/month.
The BMA also plans to launch the second phase of the free boat service from Hua Lamphong railway station to Thewarat market. The service will operate from Monday to Friday from 6am to 9am and from 4pm to 7pm and on weekends and public holidays from 8am to 7pm.
The original free boat service on the Phadung Krung Kasem Canal was launched at the end of 2020. The service was not popular among commuters and saw the number of passengers dropping from about 1,000 a day to 400-500.
