Put Clean Transport on the Streets of Bangkok

The election for Bangkok’s new governor is over, and the landslide winner is Chadchart Sittitpunt. One of the issues that made up his campaign was introducing a lot more feeder public transport lines that would connect with the larger rail transport lines and main bus lines. 

This is an admirable and much-needed service that resonated with the voters of Bangkok. For too long, the city’s residents were left to their own devices to get to the stations of the city’s growing rapid transit lines. 

Taxis, tuk-tuks, motorbike taxis, and small, diesel-belching antiquated buses are often used in the city’s neighbourhoods to reach the main transit lines. This adds to the volume of traffic on city streets, to say nothing about the amount of air pollution.

While motorbike taxis are a convenient way for single people to reach the main transit lines, taxis are often too expensive for lower-paid workers, and the old buses need to be removed from the streets as soon as possible. The operators drive dangerously, and they add a lot of diesel pollution. Tuk-tuks could also be converted into electric vehicles, which would cut down on their noise and pollution. 

Electric Small Buses Are the Way Forward

There is an opportunity for small electric buses to replace the antiquated diesel buses of old. Electric buses would lessen the city’s noise levels while cleaning up Bangkok’s air. This would make many of the residents of Bangkok neighbourhoods around the rapid transit stations much happier. 

There’s a need to get people to use public transportation. But providing public transport that has as little impact on city stress, noise, and pollution as possible is also important. Let’s hope the new governor can increase the use of public transport and provide the right type of feeder transportation as part of his pledge.