BMA by Traffic and Transportation Department has granted a grace period of 6 month-free electric boat services from Wat Si Bun Rueang Pier to Min Buri District Office Pier to promote a new environmentally-friendly mode of transport that enables people to conveniently connect to Min Buri areas.
Pol. Gen. Aswin Kwanmuang, Governor of Bangkok, presided over the opening ceremony for the route extension of Saen Saep Canal electric passenger boat service (Wat Si Bun Rueang – Min Buri District Office), and took an electric boat from Wat Si Bun Rueang Pier in Bang Kapi District to Min Buri Market Pier at Min Buri District.
Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) by Traffic and Transportation Department have launched electric passenger boat services in Saen Saep Canal, starting from Wat Si Bun Rueang Pier until Min Buri District Office Pier. This is an extended route that enables people to conveniently connect to Min Buri areas. The electric boat services will generate fewer waves, operate noiselessly, emit no pollutants into canals, and run without fuel combustion, which is the cause of global warming. This is the second water commuting route after the passenger boat route on Phadung Krung Kasem Canal. BMA has operated its electric passenger boat services to provide the public with multiple transportation options to choose from. It is also the promotion of the public transportation system that rapidly connects to other types of transportation. This means of transport will enhance the life quality of the people in Bangkok, and is truly an environmentally-friendly public transportation system.
Twelve electric vessels that operate on this extended route are passenger boats with 40 seat capacity, 12.50 meters long and 3.20 meters wide. Its maximum speed is 17 km/h and generally, the boat can be operated at speeds of 10 – 14 km/h. The boat is equipped with special seats for disabled passengers with wheelchairs and bicycle hangers for people commuting by bicycle. Charging time from 0 to 100% is only about 90 to 120 minutes. In one charge, the boat can run for 2-3 hours. The boat route comprises 12 piers, namely Wat Si Bun Rueang Pier, Paseo Pier, and another Eight new piers that were constructed by BMA, and the other two piers that are used for the transit of passengers at Bang Chan Watergate.
The distance of the electric boat service is approximately 10.50 kilometers which takes about 50 – 60 minutes. The electric boat service operates from Mondays to Fridays, from 5.30 a.m. to 8.30 p.m. with the boat departing every 20 – 30 minutes. On Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays, the operation hours are from 6 AM to 7 PM, and the boat departs every 30 minutes. The service is free of charge for six months.