Transport tops clean air tasks

This week, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) launched a walking-cycling promotion to tackle the city’s notorious traffic congestion. Quite an ambition.
The Bangkok Master Plan for Walking and Cycling is cooperating with the BMA’s Transport Department and the non-profit Thailand Walking and Cycling Institute Foundation, which has conducted a feasibility study.
The project’s core idea is to enhance connectivity to encourage Bangkokians to choose cycling as a transport option, not just for leisure activities. Thus, it attaches extreme importance to safety and convenience and comes in three phases:
In the initial, short-term stage, the project is to establish a walking/cycling network around four BTS stations, namely Phrom Phong, Sam Yot, Ladprao 71, and Tha Phra, on the Thon Buri side of Bangkok. This part of the project, which will be wrapped up in 2026, will focus on areas covering a two-kilometre radius of the four BTS stations.
A medium-term stage, which is to run about three to five years, will expand the network by constructing and improving sidewalks and building bridges and underpasses.
The final, long-term stage, which will be concluded in 2032, will see the standardisation of design guidelines for transit networks.
A noteworthy initiative, this ambitious project is being launched at a crucial time with the city heavily blanketed by PM2.5 smog, which has become an annual phenomenon. It also gives the city a dilemma: As the smog levels surpassed 100 µg/m³ in several areas on Wednesday, walking and/or recycling are both no-nos. So how can the project be implemented at this time of the year?
However, it’s known that unless people turn to other transportation modes, including cycling, it’s extremely difficult to ease traffic congestion, which significantly aggravates smog towards the end of the year when winds are low due to poor air ventilation.
It is unarguable that the government and the BMA have been too passive in curbing smog — a high cost for city people in terms of health. High smog levels cause health risks for bikers or pedestrians. As PM2.5 reaches alarming highs, the government and the BMA are literally taking no action apart from telling the public to stay alert. Looking back at last year’s situation, most of the anti-smog measures turned out to be rather shoddy, without any efficient plan to reduce the number of cars on city roads.
They are criticised for shying away from incentivising work-from-home measures, as urged by health experts.
At the same time, accessibility to the electric train system is limited despite the expansion of the train network in the past years. A large number of motorists are not willing to turn to the electric train service, given the lack of an efficient feeder system and high train fares. Congestion fees for private cars are too controversial.
Besides, there are a few challenges. In the Tha Phra area, for example, the existing bike lanes linking the namesake MRT station with the Wong Wian Yai roundabout are invaded by aggressive motorcyclists, especially during rush hours. These lanes are simply not safe.
It goes without saying that safety — or the lack thereof — is the main issue preventing people from cycling.
This means the BMA and the government have a lot to do to turn this ambitious project into reality. However, they should feel obliged to carry it out without compromise.