ONNUCHA HUTASINGH

Pol Capt Chalerm Yubamrung says he will adopt a CEO-style management approach to tackling city problems if he is elected governor on Aug 29.

The outspoken politician announced a variety of plans and campaign policies, and says no governor candidates could come up with policies like his.

He disagreed with candidates who maintain the governor has no power, and is limited to the role of coordinator.

``The law gives the governor all the authority he needs. Those saying otherwise are simply ignorant,'' he said.

Pol Capt Chalerm said he would ask the government to decentralise more power to him. He would work with the government closely.

``I dare say that I am the only candidate who can talk [about development plans] with Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.'' Pol Capt Chalerm said he would make Bangkok a more livable city with better infrastructure and transport networks.

His policy guidelines were in keeping with the ninth national economic development plan, the seventh development plan of the Interior Ministry and the sixth development plan of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA).

As 80-90 % of its budget went on fixed expenses, the city could not undertake any new development plans unless the government helped pay for them.

``Whoever says he or she can solve traffic problem with mega-infrastructure projects, is telling a lie. Where can they get billions or tens of billion baht to carry out those projects?'' said Pol Capt Chalerm.

He would work with governors in other provinces to tackle traffic congestion and air pollution.

He said he also plans to improve the work efficiency of thesakit or city inspectors by giving them more important jobs than simply chasing food vendors.

He would turn the city inspector's office into the BMA's police office. Thesakit would be asked to learn about traffic rules so they could help traffic police.

``In particular, they will be the main force to tackle traffic on Saturday when traffic police are not on the streets,'' he said.

Those city officials would also help police patrol the city to reduce crime and drug abuse.

About 40,000 civil-defence volunteers would also be deployed to help guard the city.

He would ask the skytrain and subway firms to develop more park-and-ride facilities, particularly on the western side of Bangkok to stop vehicles from nearby provinces entering the city. He believed his traffic management plan could reduce the number of vehicles entering the city by 120,000 vehicles a day.

He would also develop Thon Buri area as a twin town of Bangkok. The Thon Buri area, to be promoted as a residential town, would be well equipped with infrastructure, he said.

Pol Capt Chalerm said he would revoke the new 40-baht monthly garbage collection fees imposed by the BMA.