The Transport Ministry expects to lower the tolls on the Second Stage Expressway from 90 baht to as low as 25 baht by August to help reduce costs for motorists.
Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit said the Expressway Authority of Thailand (Exat) had reported back on its study on the feasibility of the discount. The study found the ministry can bring down the tolls collected on the expressway.
Mr Suriya said the move would allow each vehicle travelling from Ngam Wong Wan Road to Rama IX Road via the expressway to be charged a 25 baht minimum and a 50 baht maximum throughout the journey, down from the current average toll of 90 baht per vehicle.
The discount is expected to come into effect in August.
Users of the expressway usually have to pay expensive tolls of over 100 baht to get from the north of Bangkok to the south. "This policy is to help citizens reduce their financial burdens," he said.
Mr Suriya added that Bangkok Expressway and Metro (BEM), the company that obtained the concession to operate the Second Stage Expressway, had agreed to the new rate.
As for Exat, it would also need to cut its revenue from tolls collected on the expressway to enable the discount, he said. The agency gets 60% of the tolls, while BEM gets the rest.
Mr Suriya said that Exat is looking to extend the term of BEM's concession, which ends on Oct 30, 2035, as well as build a 17-kilometre double-deck expressway along some parts of the Second Stage Expressway to reduce traffic congestion.