City buses will resume services in Chiang Mai this month, after soaring fuel prices forced the operator to pull the fleet off the streets for the first time in eight years.
Regional Transit Cooperation (RTC) has announced Aug 31 as the return date for the service after it paused operations in July.
“We’re Back! Ready for service”, the company declared on its Facebook page.
RTC runs three loop lines — Red, Yellow and Green — with the flat-rate ticket price at 50 baht. All routes start and end at Chiang Mai airport starting from 7am to 6.30pm.
Its four buses are powered by compressed natural gas and will change to electricity for the new fleet.
RTC decided to pause the service in July because of high gas prices and low ridership, the business news outlet Prachachat reported in June.
Passengers have welcomed the return of the service. Many stressed the importance of an on-time schedule over frequencies as it would help them plan their trips, instead of waiting endlessly at bus stops.
RTC launched the bus network in Chiang Mai city in 2018.
