Furious they can't raise fares, private operators will park over 8,000 buses in front of the Transport Ministry in protest against 'losses over soaring diesel prices'

Nearly 10,000 buses will go on a major strike in Bang-kok and its adjacent provinces today.

They are angry the Central Administrative Court ordered an injunction against bus-fare hikes.

"We can't bear it any longer," Private Bus Operators' Asso-ciation president Chatchai Chaiwiset says. "We can't absorb the losses from soaring diesel prices any more".

Diesel now costs more than Bt38 a litre.

According to Chatchai, private bus operators will park most of their buses - more than 8,000 - in front of the Transport Ministry. They want top government officials to know petrol woes are unbearable.

Frustrated with business losses, private operators do not fear government cancellation of their licences if they strike and fail to provide normal bus services. "Let the government do what it wants," Chatchai says "We will only dispatch natural-gas vehicles.

Private operators run about 1,700 gas buses in Bangkok and nearby.

The strike is direct retaliation against the people's network that brought the injunction action. It argues fare increase are not justified because most buses are now natural-gas powered.

Chatchai will ask the Transport Ministry to help operators by stopping collection of daily concession fees.

"We will reduce the frequency of our bus services in a bid to survive. Passengers will have to wait longer," Chatchai says.

Deputy Transport Minister Songsak Thongsri says the government will punish concessionaires who fail to honour contracts. "If the number of buses falls under the minimum stated in the contract, they will face legal action," he says.

'Monitor bus services'

Land Transport Department acting director-general Chairat Sanguanseu is instructing the authority to monitor bus services on all routes.

"If there are fewer buses, the authority must send its own buses," he says.