Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt on Friday said he is satisfied with his performance over the past eight months.
Mr Chadchart was speaking after meeting with directors of Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) agencies and district offices to receive an update on the progress of the policies he implemented during that time.
Transparency remains the priority, he said, although the BMA has received complaints about growing numbers of street vendors after the easing of Covid-19 restrictions.
Mr Chadchart said district chiefs had been instructed to prioritise regulating the number of hawkers in congested areas where they tend to obstruct footpaths and cause road congestion.
The performance of officials in each spot so far has been satisfactory, Mr Chadchart said.
However, the pavements must be upgraded to make them passable for the disabled and wheelchair-bound.
District offices and the BMA's Public Works Department are speeding up the replacement of about 25,000 LED lights along roads, in addition to safety improvements of pedestrian crossings in many spots.
Among other policies, Mr Chadchart said the BMA will carry on with the integration of the Traffy Fondue app and complaint system's 1555 hotline, which aims to harmonise data into one database to prevent cases going missing.
The BMA was also carrying out road improvements spanning 151.5 kilometres.
Mr Chadchart responded to a rumour that he would not resume many of the works of previous governor Pol Gen Aswin Kwanmuang, such as rejuvenating the boat service along Klong Phadung Krung Kasem, saying it is currently still operational and free of charge.
But officials are assessing the overall situation after low passenger numbers of only around 5,000 per month gave way to a big jump to 14,000 commuter trips each month since the pandemic ended.
However, expenses for operating the service stood at about 2.4 million baht, and its fare of 171 baht per head per trip is considered expensive. The BMA, therefore, is looking at alternative options that might be better for commuters, he added.
Nevertheless, the BMA needs to collect a reasonable fare from commuters in order to maintain the function of the service. Plus, the BMA needs the route to attract more commuters or connect more readily with other public transport networks.
"The BMA doesn't intend to cancel the boat service, but we need to look at its value. Deputy Bangkok governor Wisanu Subsompon will appraise the impact and look for alternative options," he said. The BMA will also carry on with the development of Klong Ong Ang.