[sustran] [sustran] Bangkok Car Free Day

[Craig Townsend]

Although it is not yet over, Bangkok’s first “car-free day” seems to have 
been a success in many respects. Although to many people the day was a 
“protest” against Thailand’s “high” fuel prices (which are actually close to 
the lowest in the world) some people in government and the public seem to 
have made the connection between reliance on private automobiles, the 
economic consequences of relying on imported fuel to keep the city moving, 
and environmental problems.

The other major success in my opinion is that many government officials and 
politicians took public transport, walked, or cycled to work this morning 
which is quite a departure from their usual mode of travel which is by large 
motorcades which don’t have to stop at traffic lights. (In fact, while 
Bangkok has an ATC, it is usually not switched on because automatic traffic 
light control does not respect the right of Thai politicians and government 
officials to move without having to stop while the rest of the motorists, 
pedestrians, and public bus users have to wait!) Ministers and other 
politicians using alternative means of transport today received heavy media 
coverage and for some it was the first time they had used public transport 
since childhood.

Below are a some relevant articles from today’s papers:

---------------------------------------------------------
>From the Nation Internet Edition, September 22, 2000

PM, ministers set to abandon cars

PRIME Minister Chuan Leekpai, who will either walk or cycle to Government 
House today to observe Car-Free Day, wants the campaign to become a regular 
event.

"If the result is satisfactory, I think we should do it twice a month or 
maybe once a week," Chuan said, adding that the National Energy Policy 
Office (Nepo) would assess the results of today's campaign in planning 
further energy-saving measures.

Chuan said he would either walk or cycle to work to highlight the 
significance of the event and make it a starting point for Thais to conserve 
energy.

"I'd like to set an example for people to save energy, which in turn saves 
them money," he said.

Many ministers have also promised not to use their cars today. PM's Office 
Minister Savit Bhotiwihok and Deputy Interior Minister Chamni Sakdiseth 
vowed to take a bus to the office, while Industry Minister Suwat Liptapanlop 
planned to cycle.

Interior Minister Banyat Bantadtan and Deputy Interior Minister Vatana 
Asavahame have arranged to meet at a skytrain station and ride to the office 
together.

Government spokesman Akapol Sorasuchart will stay home and handle his work 
via e-mail.

The PM's Office yesterday issued a statement asking reporters not to use 
cars while covering the prime minister's activities today. As a first step 
to energy conservation, reporters should use public transport or share vans, 
the statement said.

PM's Office Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said the campaign was aimed at 
achieving long-term results rather than being a one-day phenomenon.
Meanwhile, the Thai Farmers Bank Research Centre has projected that the 
country would save Bt7.94 million in petrol costs if just 10 per cent of 
Bangkok's motorists leave their cars at home today. The country can save 
Bt2.9 billion if the 10-per-cent participation rate is maintained for a 
whole year, the centre said.

However, many high-profile figures voiced scepticism about the campaign and 
said they would use their cars as normal.

Bangkok Governor Samak Sundaravej declined to comment on the Car-Free Day 
campaign, but said he would drive his car to office as usual.
"I don't want to criticise it. But I don't think that I should take a bus to 
attend the many events scheduled," he said.

Education Minister Somsak Prissanananthakul said the campaign was more of an 
image-building attempt rather than an energy-saving measure.
Senator Somkiat Sornlam agreed, and attacked the government for not 
preparing the public for the surge in fuel prices. "This is image-building. 
The government tries to portray that it is attempting to tackle the oil 
price problem but in reality, it only wants to get by for another day," he 
said.


---------------------------------------------------------
>From the Bangkok Post Internet Edition, 22 September 2000

Chuan likely to walk or cycle to work
Campaign could run on weekends as well

Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai will walk or cycle to parliament today, joining 
the Car-free Day campaign.

Mr Chuan said two mountain bikes were available at Ban Phitsanulok, his 
official residence. Alternatively, he could walk the kilometre or so to 
work.
The campaign, in 24 countries, is intended to raise awareness about energy 
saving.

Several cabinet ministers have also said they will leave their cars at home 
today and get around by public transport.

Mr Chuan said it would be a good idea to extend the campaign to weekends on 
a trial basis and if it proved popular, and could even be introduced more 
frequently on given days.

The setbacks, he noted, were the heat as well as the shortage of cycle 
lanes. Even where there were cycle lanes, they were often blocked by garbage 
bins and other objects.

Mr Chuan said he was thinking of switching to smaller, fuel-economical cars. 
The premier is ususally driven in a van.

He has advised cabinet ministers to avoid using motorcades unless on urgent 
official engagements. His own motorcade has been downsized.
Banyat Bantadtan, the interior minister, said after today, his motorcade 
would be reduced to a single police motorcycle. Many other ministers were 
taking the bus today, he said. From his home off Sukhumvit road, Mr Banyat 
plans to catch a bus to the nearest skytrain station for travel to Victory 
Monument, and then by another bus to parliament.

Pinit Charusombat, deputy interior minister, said he would also co-operate 
in the campaign, which should give the oil-producing countries some idea of 
what might happen to them if the world were less dependent on petroleum.

For now, it may well pressure them to increase production in order to 
stabilise the price of crude.

Mr Pinit said he would hail a taxi to the airport this morning and take the 
airport bus on his return to parliament.

Suwat Liptapallop, industry minister, said he did not mind cycling to 
parliament from his home less than 1km away.

The campaign, however, was ridiculed by Thai Rak Thai Party as nothing but 
government window-dressing. Surakiat Suthirathai, deputy leader, said his 
party had proposed more effective measures to oversome the oil crisis but 
they fell on deaf ears.

While he was fully supportive of its cause, the campaign would not scare 
Opec into reducing the price of crude.

The Car-free Day campaign was not even the beginning of a solution.

---------------------------------------------------------
CAR-FREE DAY
Many leaders make other transport arrangements
While others reject a 'Western idea'

Post Reporters

Cabinet ministers, top civil servants and many private business executives 
say they'll park their cars at home to join the Car-free Day today.

Finance Minister Tarrin Nimmanahaeminda said he would take a cab to the 
office from his residence on Sukhumvit Road.

Deputy Finance Minister Pisit Leeahtam said he would walk the two kilometres 
from his home to Parliament.

Industry Minister Suwat Liptapallop said he would ride a bicycle since he 
lived only about 700 metres from the ministry headquarters.

Satit Limpongphun, the new director-general of the Fiscal Policy Office, 
said he and a number of colleagues would pool a car to get to work.

Bangkok Bank chairman Chatri Sophonpanich said he would share a car with his 
son, Chartsiri, president of the bank. He said the bank also encouraged its 
employees to join the campaign.

Siam Commercial Bank will arrange vans to transport its employees from 
Central Lat Phrao to the bank headquarters, according to Staporn Jinachitr, 
the executive vice-president. Mr Staporn himself plans to take a bus to 
work.

Thai Farmers Bank will arrange buses to ferry its employees from its Phahon 
Yothin office to the headquarters in Rat Burana.

Bangchak Petroleum Plc will also use buses for its staff travelling to its 
refinery in Bangchak and to corporate headquarters on Srinakarin Road.

The company also distributed handbooks on how to save fuel to its employees, 
and suggested they avoid outside appointments.

The Petroleum Authority of Thailand is encouraging its staff to use public 
transport.

Bangkok Mass Transit System Plc (BTSC), operator of the skytrain, will award 
Skycards worth 100 baht each to 10,000 lucky commuters. The company expects 
its ridership to increase to 200,000 people today from the average of 
160,000.

The Telephone Organisation of Thailand (TOT), meanwhile, is encouraging 
people to do more business over the telephone instead of driving to 
appointments.

But Virabongsa Ramangkura, a former deputy prime minister, said he would 
drive his car to work as usual as he believed the Car-free Day was initiated 
by Western countries.

"Why do we have to follow them?" he asked.

To no one's surprise, high oil prices helped to slow Thailand's consumption 
of refined oil products by 2.7% in the first seven months of this year 
compared with the same period last year, the Petroleum Authority of Thailand 
said yesterday.

Average demand for all petroleum products during the period was the 
equivalent to 622,600 barrels per day, the PTT said.

Use of gasoline dropped 2.8% to 118,800 barrels, diesel was down 0.1% to 
267,900, and fuel oil down 13.5% to 120,900.

However, consumption of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) jumped 9.8% to the 
equivalent of 54,900 barrels a day, and aviation fuel by 5.1% to 59,300.

Demand for fuel oil was lowered by substitution by natural gas, especially 
in power generation and plants.

The surge in LPG consumption came as more taxis switched to cheaper 
subsidised LPG from gasoline.

Demand for indigenous natural gas soared by 12.9% to the equivalent of 
286,300 barrels, driven up mainly by the power-generation sector.


*******************************************************
Craig Townsend, PhD Candidate & Researcher

Apt. 35, Krisda Mansion
11/26 Sukhumvit Soi 1, Wattana, Bangkok 10110  Thailand
tel: (66 2) 251-6472     fax: (66 2) 255-5933

Institute for Sustainability & Technology Policy (ISTP)
Murdoch University, South Street, Murdoch
Perth, Western Australia 6150
tel: (61 8) 9360-6293     fax: (61 8) 9360-6421

email: townsend at central.murdoch.edu.au

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