Experts on traffic and transport are sceptical about the chances of Bangkok's gridlocked transport system improving, regardless of who wins the March 3 gubernatorial election.
None of the three leading candidates in the race offer any real solutions to traffic and transport problems, the experts told a Bangkok Post special forum.
Three experts were invited to appraise the campaign pledges of Pheu Thai candidate Pongsapat Pongcharoen, Democrat candidate Sukhumbhand Paribatra and independent candidate Pol Gen Sereepisuth Temeeyaves _ particularly those relating to traffic, transport, city planning and the environment.
Saksit Chalermpong, an assistant professor at Chulalongkorn University, said the Pheu Thai candidate has made promises he is unlikely to deliver.
He said several proposals by Pol Gen Pongsapat do not fall under the authority of the governor's office, such as the candidate's pledge to ensure stricter enforcement of traffic regulations. Traffic police do not report to City Hall, but to the Royal Thai Police.
Mr Saksit said the candidates have been reluctant to tackle problems head-on. Some have floated fanciful ideas such as building a skywalk to substitute for pavements which are crowded due to the presence of street vendors.
"That is not solving the problem. It is avoiding the problem [to think that] we can't use the pavement, so let's build a skywalk," he said.
He also expressed concern about populist pledges being made with regard to public transport.
Several candidates have proposed free public buses or fare cuts when there is no proof that such measures would actually get people to switch from driving to using public transport.
Mr Saksit said better traffic management, which he believes is the key to tackling traffic problems, has not been seriously discussed by previous administrations.
He said local regulations on parking spaces can be amended but City Hall has made no attempt to do so.
"I don't think any of [the candidates] can make a significant difference," he said.
Suchatvee Suwansawat, dean of the engineering faculty at King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, described the transport policies proposed by candidates as "extreme" _ either advocating private cars or electric trains.
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He said other modes of public transport, such as vans and express boats, and the issue of how safe they are, has not been raised on the campaign trail.
Mr Suchatvee said the governor needs to look after the interests of low-income earners who do not have access to mass transport.
These include 900,000 people who live in housing projects under the National Housing Authority.
Mr Suchatvee said several mega projects are not well-thought out and are being implemented in a rush.
"The next Bangkok governor needs to be a real reformer, but every candidate is just making similar promises to build this and that," he said.
He said a good Bangkok governor must have excellent housekeeping skills. "A governor is more or less a housewife who looks after three things _ safety, hygiene and the environment," he said.
"If the next governor can put his house in order, Bangkok can change."
Mr Suchatvee said the occupied pavements, black smoke emitted by the city's vehicles and dirty and disorganised power lines above the streets are testament to the lack of house-keeping and communication skills of Bangkok governors so far.
Thawatchai Supadit, the vice rector of the National Institute of Development Administration, said several problems persist due to a lack of decisiveness on the part of the governor and lack of discipline on the part of residents.
Litter and wastewater would no longer be such serious issues if the city's residents were more responsible, he said.
"We never behave. The wastewater comes from households who release it directly into waterways," he said.
"We have a garbage incinerator in On Nut that we can't use due to protests.
"People know their rights but they do not know their responsibilities."
Mr Thawatchai said candidates have also failed to discuss the city's ageing population.
MR Sukhumbhand has spoken little about the ageing issue, and has focused only on financial support for the elderly when he has raised the topic, he said.
A more comprehensive policy on the city's ageing population is needed, he said. It will be a challenge for City Hall to provide recreational services for the elderly, he said.
With regard to transport policy, he said several transport proposals lie outside the authority of the governor's office, such as zoning of public buses and traffic safety.