In Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, a new policy aimed at alleviating urban traffic congestion and promoting the development of the public transportation system is being formulated. The Thai government plans to impose a city congestion fee of 40 to 50 Thai baht on vehicles entering the streets of Bangkok. This measure aims to guide citizens to use rail transit more through economic means, while raising funds to implement the policy of unifying rail transit system fares at 20 Thai baht in the Greater Bangkok area.

According to the Bangkok Post, Thai Transport Minister Suriya stated that the plan aims to draw on advanced international rail transit operation models, especially for the busiest sections of Bangkok's urban traffic, such as Sukhumvit Road, Silom Road, and Ratchada Road. On average, about 700000 vehicles pass through these road sections every day, and traffic congestion is extremely severe. The imposition of congestion fees is expected to reduce the number of vehicles on these road sections to 600000 per day, effectively alleviating traffic pressure. Meanwhile, the government can also generate approximately 10 billion Thai baht in revenue annually through this policy.

Minister Suriya further pointed out that the revenue from congestion fees will mainly be used to acquire the franchise rights of rail transit, in order to achieve the goal of unifying the fare of all lines in the rail transit system at 20 baht. He estimates that this acquisition process may cost around 200 billion Thai baht and is expected to be completed by September 2025. This move will not only help improve the service quality and coverage of rail transit, but also further promote the integration and optimization of Bangkok's public transportation system.

Bangkok Mayor Chachai expressed support for the plan to levy congestion fees. He believes that imposing congestion fees on vehicles is not a new concept. Cities such as London and Singapore in the UK have successfully implemented similar policies, effectively encouraging citizens to use public transportation more and significantly reducing the number of vehicles in busy areas. However, Mayor Chachai also emphasized that before implementing this new policy, the government must ensure that the public transportation system is sufficiently complete and convenient, including improving electric trains, expanding service areas, and improving pedestrian pathways. This can avoid unnecessary impact on low-income groups and ensure the smooth implementation of policies.

Former Deputy Mayor of Bangkok, Samad, also expressed his views on the plan to levy congestion fees. He believes that although this idea has been discussed for several years, it has not been implemented due to its potential adverse effects on commuters. Shamad emphasized that in order to successfully implement this policy, the government must develop a thorough plan, including addressing issues such as parking spaces and fee reductions. Only in this way can we ensure that the plan to levy congestion fees will not end in failure.