Surapong Laoha-Unya, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the MOVE business line at BTS Group Holdings Public Company Limited, or BTS, told the Stock Vision news team that total rail system ridership continues to grow even as the overall economy slows. The Green Line, both the northern and southern sections, averages more than 800,000 passengers per day, and when the Green Line, Pink Line, and Yellow Line are combined, total system ridership stands at about 1 million passengers per day. The Yellow Line continues to show improving growth, while the Pink Line has seen ridership rise to nearly 100,000 passengers per day. The company is pressing ahead with marketing and promotion strategies, including new ticket products such as monthly passes and tickets valid for a set number of days, and is organizing events along rail routes to generate revenue during event periods. In the advertising business on the Pink and Yellow lines, the focus is on train wrap advertising. The Mix & Match business is trending better this year. For business expansion, BTS sees opportunities in the country's rail infrastructure, aiming to expand in Bangkok, the surrounding provinces, and the regions, and is open to both public-private partnership models, or PPP, and contracts to manage and operate trains. It is especially interested in the Phuket rail project. As for the U-Tapao airport project, work is under way to push forward the portions that can proceed immediately without waiting solely for the high-speed rail link connecting three airports to be ready, since the project has already been running for more than six years.
BTS Group Holdings Public Company LimitedTotal rail system ridership hits about 1 million passengers per day with Yellow and Pink lines growing, signaling stronger end-customer demand for BTS's rail services.
