Next year, nine districts in Bangkok will be designated as low-emission zones, prohibiting polluting trucks with six wheels or more from entering when fine dust levels reach hazardous thresholds.
This ban is part of the measures announced on Tuesday by Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt to combat PM2.5 pollution, which typically worsens during the cool season.
Trucks with six or more wheels that exceed a specific level of exhaust emissions will be banned from these nine districts for three days when air quality in five districts falls into the red zone, defined as 75 micrograms per cubic meter of air or higher. Only vehicles that meet the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s (BMA) clean engine criteria will be exempt from this ban.
The ban will be announced 24 hours prior to implementation and will last for three days. Offenders face fines of up to 2,000 baht and/or a potential one-month jail sentence.
Starting next month, the BMA will allow all truck owners to apply for a spot on the “green list,” provided they can demonstrate that their vehicles and engines are well-maintained and comply with City Hall guidelines. Vehicles on this list will be exempt from the ban.
Governor Chadchart acknowledged that the BMA lacks authority over traffic control, but he stated that City Hall will leverage the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Act to enforce the ban. This law gives provincial governors the power to address pollution sources within their jurisdictions.
He noted that 257 closed-circuit cameras throughout Bangkok would help officials capture the license plates of trucks violating the ban. Additionally, officials will conduct site visits to suspected pollution sources.
“This isn’t a blanket policy; we want to allow low-pollution emitters to continue operating during challenging economic times,” said Mr. Chadchart. “If we prohibited every truck, those complying would be unfairly punished.”
He also encouraged office workers to work from home whenever five districts experience two consecutive days of red-zone pollution to reduce road traffic.
The nine districts designated as low-emission zones are:
- Bang Rak
- Dusit
- Klong San
- Pathumwan
- Phaya Thai
- Phra Nakhon
- Pomprap Sattruphai
- Samphanthawong
- Sathon
These districts are situated within the inner ring road that connects Ratchadaphisek and Charan Sanitwong roads.
In recent years, Bangkok has faced increasing fine-dust air pollution from November through early summer in March. On Tuesday at 3 PM, the capital had the 50th dirtiest air quality globally, with an IQAir index of 50 micrograms per cubic meter, classified as “moderate” or yellow. The worst air was reported in Lahore, Pakistan, at 240 micrograms per cubic meter.
In related news, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra on Tuesday directed various ministries to focus on reducing PM2.5 pollution, which poses a national health threat. The Digital Economy and Society Ministry and the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry have been tasked with mapping strategies to combat haze pollution along with ground-level agencies.
Potential measures may include banning the buy and sell of corn and sugarcane produced through slash-and-burn farming methods.