The Bangkok governor, Chadchart Sittipunt, expressed support for the Transport Ministry’s plan to introduce a congestion fee for vehicles entering central Bangkok to help finance a proposed 20-baht flat fare across all electric train lines.
Chadchart explained that congestion charges are not new, citing examples from cities like London and Singapore, where similar measures have encouraged greater public transport use while discouraging private car travel in busy areas. However, he stressed that such a scheme in Bangkok must be accompanied by improvements to the overall public transport infrastructure to ensure accessibility and convenience.
“It’s not just about electric trains,” he said. “We need to expand bus services and improve pedestrian access to create a safer, more convenient transit network.”
The proposed congestion fee would apply to vehicles entering the central business district (CBD) and could extend beyond specific streets to prevent drivers from diverting to alternate routes to avoid the charge. Chadchart cautioned that the city must provide adequate public transport options before implementing the fee, to avoid placing an excessive burden on low-income residents who rely on private vehicles.
The governor also acknowledged concerns about the policy’s potential impact on families, particularly those driving children to school. He emphasized that careful planning and the integration of traffic technology would be critical to the policy’s success.
Samart Ratchapolsitte, a former deputy governor of Bangkok, noted in a Facebook post that the idea of congestion charges has been discussed for years but was shelved due to fears of negatively affecting commuters. He warned that the initiative requires detailed planning, including provisions for parking and exemptions, to avoid failure.
Meanwhile, Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit said the government aims to model the initiative on similar systems in other countries. He also suggested that the government should consider buying back concessions from private companies operating electric train lines, allowing it to maintain affordable fares under the flat 20-baht scheme.
Authorities are continuing to evaluate the feasibility of the congestion fee plan, with officials saying that any rollout would be accompanied by measures to minimize disruption to commuters.
