reader Posted November 13 Posted November 13 From Bangkok Post The Transport Ministry aims to use the so-called "London Model" to collect traffic congestion fees in the inner areas of Bangkok. Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit, who also serves as a deputy prime minister, said Tuesday he has assigned the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTP) to urgently study a model and methods of implementing the measure of collecting congestion fees in areas with heavy traffic, fee rates, payment methods and the results of successful operations in various countries including England, Singapore, Stockholm, Sweden and Italy. "We expect that study will be completed within six months, or in 2025. In addition, new laws may need to be drafted, as under the current law, the government has no authority to collect congestion fees, which is the authority of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA)," he said. He said an initial survey about the congestion fee run on the ministry's social media found that 60% of respondents initially agreed, but later the number of people who disagreed with the project rose. The main reason was due to a lack of details about the project. As such, the information must be quickly explained to the public, especially regarding who will be charged and in which areas, Mr Suriya said. He confirmed that people living in the designated areas where the fees are collected would be exempt. The income from the fee collection will be deposited into an infrastructure fund, which will be operated by the Ministry of Finance. Some of the money will be used to buy back concessions for electric train lines and support the government's policy of 20-baht fares for all electric train routes. https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2901148/london-model-to-be-used-for-road-fees Quote
