Academics Propose Measures to Tackle Air Pollution in Bangkok

BANGKOK, Jan 19 (TNA) - Academics have proposed several measures to the government to solve the ongoing air pollution in Bangkok, including restructuring vehicle taxes. Adisorn Issarangkun Na Ayutthaya, an adviser of Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI), said during a seminar on Friday that a solution for containing the tiny particulate matter is that the government should restructure the annual vehicle tax to be based on carbon dioxide emission. Oil tax should be also restructured to persuade drivers to switch to using clean energy. Another academic Associate Professor Chamnong Sornpipat said an average car speed in Bangkok outskirts between 2008 – 2017 fell by 22 per cent and it showed that the number of passenger car rose by 8 per cent yearly while the amount of truck increased 3.5 per cent. Latest figures showed that more than 5 million cars are registered in Bangkok, therefore, the government should introduce measures to limit car use in traffic congested areas and to also develop the city planning in a bid to solve air pollution in long run, Assoc. Prof. Chamnong added. (TNA)