The spider or maeng moom card, as the common ticketing system will be called, will give Bangkok commuters who have been forced to endure over a decade of using different tickets for different modes of public transportation some much-needed relief.
But with the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA), known for its notorious city bus networks and lethargic operations, in charge of initiating the system, commuters have reason to lower their expectations. Still, they should not be let down.
Covering the four electric rails and city buses, the Transport Ministry has promised the system will be "partially" operational by June and fully functional by year end.
The launch can only proceed as planned if the BMTA meets the deadlines. But the agency is not the best performer when it comes to efficiency, punctuality and delivery. For example, its latest procurement of 100 NGV buses has been plagued with delays.
The BMTA over the past few decades has not managed to get many things right. In taking on the leading role in what could be a major convenience for the general public, the agency must not turn it into another headache and disappointment for the public.
The BMTA over the next couple of months will call bids to select a firm to install and manage an electronic pass card system under a 1.8-billion-baht five-year contract.
Hopefully, the agency will manage to choose the right vendor. It cannot afford to contract an operator who may ask for lots of time to develop the software and hardware, and test run the system prior to putting it in operation without technical glitches. Accomplishing all these tasks within the five-month period is a challenge.
The BMTA also needs to realise it does not need to start from scratch. Many countries already use this kind of ticketing system. One of the best systems is operated not too far from Thailand. The BMTA could take a "study tour" to Hong Kong and observe how its "Octopus Card" functions.
The Octopus card, which has been in use since 1997, has become one of the world's best smart card systems that makes public transportation and payments easy for residents and tourists. A purchase of the two-decade-old system card gives commuters access to all mass-transit systems as well as the ability to pay at a wide range of outlets such as bookstores, coffee shops, convenience stores, car parks and supermarkets. It is also part of an access control system used by commercial and residential buildings.
Usage of the Octopus card has been extended to Macau and Shenzhen. The system itself led to the development of the Oyster card for public transport commuters in London.
The agency needs to be exposed to this kind of technology and find out where experienced developers and operators of such a system are so it can pick the right vendor on a timely basis.
Connecting different public transport systems is usually plagued with delays and thus disappoints commuters in Thailand. The expressways' Easy Pass and the motorways' M-Pass were supposed to be merged years ago, but this only became a reality late last year. The missing link between the two elevated rail systems, the Purple and Blue lines, has still not been fixed and remains a hiccup for commuters.
Giving it the benefit of the doubt, the BMTA this time may be able to deliver as planned. In addition to developing the system, the agency needs to facilitate cooperation with the other four elevated rail operators and ensure the plan is not bogged down by any bureaucratic hurdles or technical disagreements.
Failure to nail down an agreement among all parties on a timely basis to get the system up and running would mean another broken promise for city commuters.
