Bangkok governor Chadchart lists two years of accomplishments

Chadchart Sittipunt, the governor of Bangkok, addressed the media on the occasion of the second anniversary of his tenure under the theme "2 Years of 'Change and Adapt' to Elevate Livability”. 

He emphasised efforts to enhance the efficiency of Bangkok for the greater happiness of its residents. As a result, he said, Bangkok has undergone numerous changes in various areas.

He highlighted the adjustment of Traffy Fondue, a platform for receiving complaints and managing urban problems where all citizens can report problems they encounter to various agencies responsible for solving those problems.

Chadchart outlined the following accomplishments:

Over the past two years, 465,291 of 588,842 complaints have been resolved, representing 78%. The average time to resolve issues has been reduced by 97%, from approximately two months to just two days.

Sidewalks represent another noticeable improvement. Over the past two years, 785 kilometres of sidewalks have been upgraded. 

Regarding flood prevention, 737 critical spots were identified for improvement. So far, 370 of these spots have been addressed. The city has cleaned 4,200km of drainage pipes, and cleared 1,960km of canals to ensure water flow. 

Additionally, maintenance has been carried out on water gates, pumping stations, and all drainage tunnels, with all pumps inspected to ensure they are operational.

In addition to ongoing dust-reduction measures, the city plans to transition its service vehicles from diesel to electric power. For instance, converting a 5-tonne garbage truck to electric power will reduce rental costs from 2,800 to 2,240 baht per truck per day, lower greenhouse-gas emissions from 2,256 tonnes to 200 tonnes per year, cut PM2.5 emissions to zero from 22 kilograms per year, and decrease energy costs from 1,300 to 455 baht per trip.

The city plans to acquire 615 electric vehicles in 2024, 392 in 2025, and an additional 657 in 2026. Moreover, the construction of incineration plants to generate electricity in On Nut and Nong Khaem is being expedited. These plants aim to reduce landfill use and waste-management costs, with the expected opening in 2026 anticipated to save 172,462,500 baht per year in waste-management expenses.

Over the past two years, there have been clear structural changes in operations, leading to permanent improvements in six key areas.

Citizen-Centric Approach: Bangkok officials have adopted the principle of "turning their backs to the governor and facing the citizens". 

Decentralisation of Power: More budget has been allocated directly to communities and districts, empowering local areas to address their own needs.

Transparency: A strong stance against corruption has been maintained. Nearly 30 corrupt officials have been dismissed to ensure resources are not wasted.

Technology Utilisation: Technology has been leveraged to improve service delivery, making processes more efficient and accessible.

Public Participation: There has been an emphasis on involving the public, particularly younger people, in various activities. The belief is that the city can change for the better if everyone works together.

Tackling Challenging Issues: One significant challenge addressed is the long-standing debt with BTS. Bangkok has made a substantial payment of 23 billion baht for the extension of the Green Line (Bearing-Samut Prakan and Mo Chit-Saphan Mai-Khu Khot sections) and transferred ownership of the extension project to the city.

Chadchart also denied rumours about forming a political party. He expressed his contentment with working at the local level and believes that many significant changes in the world start at the city level. 

He said transforming the city can lead to national change. He said his team enjoy their work and value their independence, so the idea of starting a political party has never been considered.