[sustran] Re: Car free day reports - ex. Europe

[Craig Townsend]

Eric,

Below is another news item of Bangkok's first car free day.

For information on the Thai car free day go to:

http://www.nepo.go.th/index-E.html

There is a light blue circular background with some Thai text and "22" on 
it. Click and it will take you to the car free day home page. Most of it is 
in Thai but if you click around a bit you should find the main logo which 
also includes the English "In town, without my car!" Some of the Thai text 
will translate into symbols unless your browser can encode Thai text.

Best wishes,

Craig

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>From the Nation (Thailand) Internet Edition, 27 September 2000

Car-free day a breath of fresh air


DECREASED traffic congestion and air pollution in Bangkok last Friday, 
Thailand's first Car-Free Day, was a direct result of fewer cars on the 
roads, PM's Office Minister Savit Bhotiwihok told Cabinet yesterday.

Savit, in charge of the National Energy Policy Office (Nepo), said the 
Car-Free Day campaign successfully persuaded about 8 per cent of the 
capital's motorists to leave their cars at home, an estimated decrease of 
104,000 vehicles. Fewer vehicles meant improved air quality, he said.

According to a Nepo study, traffic congestion on expressways eased between 
10 to 20 per cent and traffic flow on ordinary roads was 5 to 10 per cent 
better than a week before.

"The number of vehicles on the second-stage expressway approximately reduced 
by 50,000, to only 340,000 cars when compared to September 15," Savit said.

He said the campaign had effectively encouraged more people to use public 
transport - the number of train passengers increased by 35.8 per cent and 
Microbus passengers increased by 3.9 per cent.

"The Bangkok Mass Transit Authority also had 6.9 per cent more passengers," 
said Savit. And the Bangkok Transit System, the Skytrain operator, reported 
a 14.9 per cent increase in passengers.

Savit said air-quality tests on Friday revealed the Car-Free Day had had an 
immediate effect on air pollution levels. Pollution Control Department 
monitoring stations tracked significant decreases in the levels of carbon 
monoxide and PM-10, another major pollutant produced by cars.

The campaign's success has prompted Nepo to draft measures aimed at 
encouraging people to use public transport more in the future.


*******************************************************
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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