OrBorJor to take over local bus service

PHUKET TOWN: Dr Prasit Koysiripong, President of Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor), announced last week that the OrBorJor has decided to take over the operation of a new local bus service. In May, PB Holdings pulled out of the venture as the company believed it could not survive with passenger fares restricted to 10 baht. The restriction was stipulated in the concession agreement with the government. Dr Prasit said the OrBorJor is prepared to invest 8 million baht. The OrBorJor will operate the service at first and later privatize it. The service will be launched with nine battery-operated buses, four for each route and one spare. The electric buses were made in China where they are widely used. Dr Prasit said that the OrBorJor Communications Committee is planning to model Phuket’s bus service on one recently set up in Chiang Mai. There, the municipality operates a system using the same type of bus. The two service routes in Phuket will remain as PB Holding had planned them. One will run between Baan Sam Kong School and Phuket Vocational College. The other will operate between Rajabhat Phuket Institute and the Laem Chan Health Office. Fares will range from five to ten baht.