Market and Institutional Characteristics of Passenger Van Services in Bangkok,Thailand

The market and institutional characteristics of passenger van services in Bangkok, Thailand, are examined. Empirical evidence from the field survey, which included route and ownership types and cost structures, is presented first. Then regulatory and institutional issues in the van services are discussed, with particular attention to the dominant roles of route associations. It was found that passenger vans provide indispensable services to travelers in Bangkok, in terms of both point-to-point services between residential areas and commercial centers and feeder services connecting areas underserved by public transport to rail transit systems. Starting as informal services, passenger vans in Bangkok have become legalized over the years. With constantly growing demand and supply restriction by excessive regulations, the licenses for legal operation have become prohibitively expensive. Together with lax regulatory enforcement and prevalent corruption, there is a proliferation of unregistered vans that compete directly against registered vans. The conclusion contains policy recommendations.