Short-sighted car policy adds to traffic woes
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Having lived in Bangkok for over 20 years, I share the view of most Bangkokians that the city's traffic is getting worse. Twenty years ago, I spent 45 minutes getting from Bang Na to Phetchaburi Road by bus. Now, even in a taxi, it can take more than an
With only two lines now against the fast expansion of greater Bangkok, the existing road space cannot keep pace with the increasing number of commuters and vehicles.
The longer Bangkok keeps drawing business, the more people are drawn to the city. The more housing estates are expanded to suburban areas, the higher the number of vehicles to be expected. At condominiums, car parks – normally at the ratio of 60 per cent of all units – are always full at night, and double parking is common.
A German expert on urban planning said while in Bangkok that any big city should maximise land use. Keep downtown development horizontal, to ensure proper infrastructure, he said. Some Thai developers, however, are planning to develop single houses in key business districts. They say the rich can afford such houses and want to live in city areas, and should be offered such products.
To the expert, cities can be expanded only when the authorities know that they can extend infrastructure to cover new areas.
It’s not the case for Bangkok. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has been criticised for extending property development permission without consulting infrastructure-related authorities. The practice remains, and infrastructure-related authorities have to handle public complaints.
In a city with poor public transport, everyone dreams of owning a car, despite fuel costs. Two decades ago, when taxi fares were negotiable, it was easier to find a taxi. Now, most drivers tend to serve familiar areas, so they can reset the meter and earn the Bt35 start-up fare more often. It can take a while to get a cab from Ram Indra to downtown. It is out of question to get a cab to take you from there to the western part of Bangkok like Bang Khae.
The choices are more limited for lower middle-income earners, for whom public buses are the only option. Now, bus routes are shortened to ease traffic. Living far from the workplace, some people must jump off a bus to catch another.
It heartens me to think about a few years from now when two more electric train routes – the Blue and Purple lines – will commence. I more than welcome the plans of the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning for more lines, to create a proper mass transit network. The Securities and Exchange Commission will also allow BTS Group Holdings to raise public funds on the back of future fares. The planning is there, with new choices for fund mobilisation.
The investment is worthwhile, given that the number of vehicles will only rise, in line with a growing population, if public transport remains poor. It does not surprise me that the average speed of traffic in Bangkok fell from last year, as the number of vehicles rose by more than 10 per cent from last year to over 7 million. Seeing ambulances stuck in traffic is horrible.
Yet, it saddens me to learn that the government’s first-car buyer scheme is going to cost taxpayers’ Bt80 billion based on an estimate that 900,000 vehicles will be covered by a rebate. The policy should not have been launched in the first place. Given higher oil prices and growing concern about climate change, no government in the world should launch such a policy that will only raise fuel import bills and carbon emissions.
Buyers of hybrid cars (unfortunately priced at more than Bt1 million) are not part of the scheme, though these cars consume less fuel and generate less CO2. It is also wrong that pickups are part of the scheme, when they already enjoy diesel subsidies. (Sadly, few complain about this, though the subsidies come from the pockets of petrol car owners, not the government’s purse.)
At Bt80 billion, the bill is high enough to fund a train line. It is enough to fund either the 27-km Blue Line (Bang Sue-Hualampong) or the 23-km Purple Line (Bang Yai-Bang Sue), plus park-and-ride buildings, which could reduce the number of vehicles on the streets.
Laymen can be short-sighted, and that’s why we need far-sighted policy-makers. Indeed, the Pheu Thai Party should be credited for being the first to think about a proper mass transit network.
I’m in my mid-40s now, and given the life expectancy of over 70, I should remain alive for three more decades. Yes, I envision the day when I fall ill and urgently need an ambulance. Hopefully, there will be more train lines and fewer cars on the streets. Or I will certainly die before the ambulance can crawl to my home and get me to hospital.
