Skip to main content

Bangkok combats pollution with city toll 

Road pricing is part of Thailand’s Clean Mobility Programme
By Ben Spencer October 1, 2020 Read time: 2 mins
Bangkok toll is expected to reduce emissions (© Chiradech Chotchuang | Dreamstime.com)

Bangkok is introducing a road toll to improve air quality and deter commuters from driving in Thailand’s capital.

A report by German broadcaster DW says the proceeds from the charge will be used to help upgrade public transport. 

The programme is being carried out by the Thai Department for Transport Policy and Planning and German development agency Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).

GIZ says on its website the Clean Mobility Programme will support the Thai government in enabling a shift toward sustainable transport by addressing low-quality public transport services operating in cities and an increase of private vehicle usage.

It also seeks to help cities improve mobility and manage travel demand in cooperation with relevant authorities, the agency adds. 

This programme is part of Global Transfer III, an initiative carried out by GIZ on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Protection, Building and Nuclear Safety.

Transfer III supports efforts being made in Thailand, Peru, the Philippines and Indonesia to reduce greenhouse gases (GHG) from transport. 

According to GIZ, Thailand's government has pledged a 20% reduction in GHG emissions by 2030.

The agency claims a third of these emissions are caused by transport, leading to a rise in air pollution and losses of productivity due to traffic congestion.  

Earlier this year, Toyota Mobility pledged ฿50 million (£1.2m) to Chulalongkorn University as part of a project to ease congestion on Rama4 Road in Bangkok. 
 

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • EU iMobility project launched
    January 25, 2013
    The three-year iMobility Support, launched by Ertico-ITS Europe will support the deployment of intelligent mobility in Europe by assisting with the work of the iMobility Forum. The project builds on eight years’ experience in similar initiatives and will assist with important activities such as stakeholder networking, product deployment and communications. The iMobility Forum is a broad consortium of stakeholders who have an interest in intelligent transportation systems (ITS) and services and works to de
  • Funding boost to cut pollution from local buses
    August 30, 2013
    Towns and cities in England are set to benefit from US$7.7 million of funding to reduce pollution from local buses, Local Transport Minister Norman Baker has announced. A total of eleven local authorities have been awarded grants from the Department for Transport’s (DfT) Clean Bus Technology Fund, which will allow almost 400 buses to be upgraded.
  • Bloomberg forms clean air partnership
    November 4, 2020
    Data collected from projects will inform policies implemented by the Brussels government 
  • C40 Cities report: 'Nearly every' city has too much air pollution
    April 10, 2023
    Traffic initiatives such as low-emission zones will be vital in reaching climate targets, report says