In Bangkok, transport contributes more than 50% to PM2.5 emissions and is one of the main causes of bad air quality. We spend on average 72 minutes a day stuck in traffic – time that we would rather spend with our families, playing sports or going to the movies. But congestion not only affects us as individuals, it also makes a big hole in the government budget. It is estimated that between 2 and 5% of GDP is lost due to congestion each year.
To address this problem, the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTP), with the support of the GIZ transport team, is working towards the setting up of the Thailand Clean Mobility Programme. The National Programme has a clear objective: To make public transport more attractive than travelling by car or motorcycle. To achieve this goal, the programme adopts a Push and Pull approach:
- Increase appeal of public transport: fleet renewal, re-organisation of routes and intermodal design, common ticket and easy access
- Internalise real cost of private car travel: Low Emission Zones, Parking management, Congestion Zones
- Establish a Sustainable Transport Fund for the replication of projects in Bangkok in other Thai cities
On March 20, 2019, the inter-ministerial Steering Committee under the chairmanship of OTP met to approve the concept of the Programme and launch the detailed design phase. The Steering Committee will establish a Working Group for each of the three topics to study different options and support the Programme set up over the next months.