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Scheduled bus service operators in Bangkok: Challenge for quality improvement
Author(s)
Thongphat, N.
Ongkittkul, S.
Sumalee, A.
Date Issued
January 1, 2017
Type
Conference Paper
Abstract
Scheduled public bus service in Bangkok is literally in crisis with a lack of a mechanism to make the system responsive to demand and an inappropriate regulatory framework. The reform with the competitive tendering scheme is urgently needed to improve the quality service. Nonetheless, the first step mostly relies on the decision made by the incumbent operators who undergo the hardship from the last deteriorated system. Concerning of their impediments would be beneficial for policy deciding. This paper reviews the regulatory frameworks of scheduled bus service in Bangkok and studies the market structure for understanding the operators' burden and behavior, measure the impact of the previous regulatory framework on firms' decision to improve quality by conducting interviews with private operators and bus drivers. The study discovers that fleet and drivers' management is the primary challenge for incumbents that clarified awarding criteria and well-established database of operators and drivers could solve.
Citation
Transport and Society Proceeding of the 22nd International Conference of Hong Kong Society for Transportation Studies Hksts 2017, 543-549, 2017