Bangkok’s congestion charge model to be ready in 6 months: Suriya
Transport Ministry eyes imposing congestion charges on motorists in the heart of the capital to reduce traffic, pollution and fund train projects
Transport Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit said the study on a suitable model for collecting congestion charges in downtown Bangkok should be ready in six months.
He told reporters on Tuesday that he has tasked the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTP) with carrying out the study to determine which model would be suitable for Bangkok.
He added that the congestion fees collected will go to the infrastructure fund, which can then be used to buy back electric train projects.
He explained that once the electric train projects are bought back, the government can implement its policy of setting a flat 20-baht fare on all electric train services in the capital.
Moreover, Suriya said, the congestion charge will also reduce air pollution and ease traffic jams in the heart of Bangkok.
He said the implementation of a congestion charge policy met with strong public opposition in foreign countries initially, but in Thailand, more than 60% of the public supports it. He said it is only people who live in the zones where the charge will be imposed are worried.
Hence, he said, the government has decided that those who live in the centre of the city will be exempted from paying the charge.
“However, the project’s details will only be known after the OTP completes its study,” Suriya said.
Meanwhile, Transport Ministry spokesman Kritchanon Aiyapunya said the OTP had conducted a study on the congestion charge project from 2019 to 2022 with support from the German Corporation for International Cooperation GmbH (GIZ).
Now, he said, OTP was in the process of reviewing the study’s results and comparing it with models used in London, Singapore, Stockholm and Gothenburg in Sweden and Milan in Italy.
Kritchanon said these cities have been successful in implementing the congestion charge by clearly setting zones and times of the day for collecting it. Plus, he said, this policy has helped reduce traffic congestion in London by 16% and increased the use of public transport by 18%.
He added that the London model uses AI cameras to detect and record the licence plates of vehicles that enter specified zones and allow the vehicle owners to pay the charges via online apps or internet banking.
Kritchanon added that the public in these cities was initially opposed to the measure but began accepting it later. For instance, in Stockholm, only 21% accepted it initially, but public acceptance grew to 67% after implementation. Similarly, public acceptance in London grew to 54% from 39% after implementation.
The spokesman added that the OTP was currently seeking support from the British government under a pact to carry out a study in collecting congestion charges in Bangkok zones that have electric train services.
