Songkran festival sees 1% rise in public transport usage in Thailand

Public transport usage during this year’s Songkran festival experienced a 1% increase compared to the corresponding period in the previous year, with around 5.6 million travellers across Thailand, as reported by the Transport Ministry.

The minister, Suriya Juengrungreangkit, reassured that the public transport networks were effectively managing the increased number of passengers and vehicles on the country’s main transportation routes.

Figures from the festivals on March 11 and March 12 totalled approximately 5.63 million travellers, demonstrating an increase of 0.99% from the previous year’s equivalent period.

Amongst all methods of transportation, rail was the most popular, comprising 45.4% of total users. Meanwhile, the central region recorded the highest number of air travellers, with a total of 91,442 flights.

Land transport proved most popular in other regions, in particular, the south with 69,534 commuters, the northeast with 80,679, the north with 49,728, and the east with 40,671.

In terms of cumulative inbound and outbound traffic, the 10 main highways in Bangkok saw a total of 2.21 million vehicles, marking a 4.71% increase from the previous year. However, there was a decline of 4.62% in the city’s motorways, with 2.98 million vehicles reported.

The Land Transport Department has instructed its provincial offices across the country to ensure an adequate supply of public buses and to establish complaint centres.

Minister Suriya highlighted that the readiness of buses and the timeliness of drivers are being evaluated at 221 nationwide checkpoints, which include bus terminals and rest areas.

As of April 12, the majority of commuters at Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal had travelled to nearby destinations, such as Chachoengsao and Prachin Buri.

The minister also mentioned the introduction of four additional train routes to serve the northern and northeastern routes. Furthermore, extra carriages were arranged to accommodate the anticipated 100,000 daily passengers, reported Bangkok Post.

The Marine Department has also increased its safety measures by monitoring various piers through CCTV camera systems. Additional staff were assigned to the piers along the Chao Phraya River and Saen Saep Canal during the holiday period.