Thailand pilots 'green transport' to combat air pollution in Bangkok

Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has announced a week of free public transport in Bangkok, commencing February 25, to address the city’s critical air pollution problem.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Suriya Jungrungreangkit revealed that this decision follows Bangkok's recent ranking as the fourth worst city globally for air quality, based on data from Swiss-based IQAir on January 24.

From February 25 to 31, residents and visitors in Bangkok will be able to travel without cost on buses and electric trains within the city. The Thai government has earmarked approximately 140 million THB ($4.1 million) from the central budget to subsidize transportation providers, including Bangkok Transit System Plc (BTS), Bangkok Expressway and Metro Public Company (BEM), and Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA).

To further tackle the pollution crisis, eight checkpoints have been established to monitor vehicle emissions across the city. Suriya expressed optimism that the free transport initiative could lead to a 20-30% increase in public transport usage during the trial period. If pollution levels show no significant improvement after the week-long program, the government will consider extending the measure.