Bangkok plans to impose congestion charges on vehicles in the city
Netizens believe that the city congestion fee collection plan is difficult to implement
The Thai government plans to impose a congestion fee of 40 to 50 baht on vehicles entering the main streets of Bangkok to raise funds to implement the policy of a unified fare of 20 baht for Bangkok's rail transit system.
The Bangkok rail transit system consists of the BTS elevated rapid transit system and the MRT underground railway system, and has long been criticized for its high fares. It usually costs 17 baht to take a BTS light rail line, and 19 baht to take a MRT subway line.
In order to achieve a unified fare of 20 baht for the rail transit system, Thailand's Minister of Transport Suriya said that it is planned to promote the public to use rail transit more by imposing congestion fees on congested sections, and at the same time use the collected "congestion fees" to acquire the franchise of rail transit. After the implementation of the plan, it is expected to reduce the traffic volume from 700,000 vehicles per day to 600,000 vehicles, and bring 10 billion baht in revenue to the government each year. Bangkok Mayor Sitthiphan has agreed to the plan.
The plan has sparked discussions among Thai netizens. Some netizens believe that the city congestion fee collection plan is difficult to implement. Drivers have no habit of taking public transportation. How to ensure that every passing vehicle can be charged is also a problem. Some people are worried that the government will make money through the plan and question whether the collected fees can be used reasonably. Former Bangkok Deputy Mayor Samat believes that sufficient parking spaces and reasonable fee reductions must be provided.
