Bus service a big hit

PHUKET TOWN: After just four days of operation, Phuket’s first public bus service has received generally glowing reviews. Samroeng Chaisorn, Vice Chief Executive of the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor), told the Gazette today, “We are very pleased; it is going very well. The other day, myself and some of my team hopped on a bus and, to our surprise, it was completely full.” The service is free until next Monday, when the 10-baht fare will be introduced. K. Samroeng – who, along with members of his team, has spent many hours on the buses inspecting the service and canvassing opinions – said, “My team and I have spoken to several hundred passengers and most of them said that they will still use the buses after the fare is introduced.” He added that a children’s fare of five baht will also be introduced. Regarding the quality of service, K. Samroeng said, “The biggest complaint from the public at the moment is the length of time between buses, which is about 20 minutes, which people felt was too long. There are plans to correct this problem”. He added that passengers were also irritated by some people hopping on or off the buses in between official stops. “We’re allowing this only for the time being to encourage people to ride the bus. But when we start charging fares, people will no longer be allowed to get on or off between bus stops,” K. Samroeng explained. The buses start at 6 am and run continuously until 10 pm, when they depart on their final run from the nearest terminus.