Solar-powered electric ferries in Thailand were moored today after not attracting enough passengers to cover the cost of running them.

Footage shows dozens of passenger vessels collecting dust at a pier in Bangkok following a temporary suspension of the service.

Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said the decision about Klong Phadung Krung Kasem EV ferry service was finalised at the meeting with executives of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) on January 3.

He said: 'BMA will consider whether it will be worthwhile to continue or spend on something else because the route was not popular while the Covid-19 situation also affected the number of passengers.'

He added that the number of passengers was low compared with rising operating costs.

The number of monthly passengers was only around 14,000 while the costs were around 2.4 million baht (58,877 GBP) per month making the average cost per passenger around 171 baht (4.19 GBP) per person compared with the 10 baht (0.25 GBP) fare.

Moreover, they could not be operated when flood prevention measures reduced the water level.

He said: 'Therefore if we will continue, we will have to consider the break-even point because it was from citizens' tax money.'

He also talked about the scenery. He explained that the project was not finished as the contractor must take care of the trees first before submitting the job.

After that, Deputy Governor Wissanu Sapsompol said on January 4: 'BMA has not cancelled all projects but will consider their appropriateness.'

The ferry project in Klong Phadung Krung Kasem started in the middle of 2020 while the first contract finished in September 2022 with a budget of around 106 million baht (2.6 million GBP).

Wissanu said that the number of passengers reduced significantly during the Covid-19 flu pandemic and has yet to recover.

Therefore, the project will be paused temporarily as BMA will review how to operate with the maximum value and benefit.

BMA will hold a bidding process in April 2023 to seek a new service operator while also reviewing other things including routes and passenger behaviour.

Before the suspension, passengers were charged 10 baht for the fare. The service runs from the Wat Si Bun Rueang Buddhist temple to the Minburi district.

They have ordered 12 electric boats for the project and rebuilt eight damaged piers to encourage passengers off the roads and out of their cars.

During weekdays, it runs from 5:30 am to 8:30 pm with boats departing every 15 minutes during rush hour and every 30 minutes outside of that time.