Critics have slammed the government's budget allocation of 140 million baht to compensate operators for providing free public transport as part of measures to combat the worsening haze pollution in Bangkok.
On Friday, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra ordered free public transport in Bangkok for one week, starting the following day, as dust levels have surged across all districts of the capital.
Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit said on Friday that the premier wanted the ministry and concerned agencies to address the high levels of particulate matter 2.5 micrometres and smaller (PM2.5) in Bangkok.
From Jan 25 to 31, people will be given free services on buses and electric trains, said Mr Suriya.
The minister has coordinated with the operators of Bangkok Transit System Plc and Bangkok Expressway and Metro Public Company to provide free rides to electric train passengers. The Bangkok Mass Transit Authority has also agreed to offer free bus services for the week.
The move is intended to encourage people to switch to public transport to curb vehicle emissions, one of the sources of PM2.5, according to the government.
Mr Suriya said a fund of about 140 million baht from the central budget will be allocated to compensate the operators providing free transport during the period.
However, critics spoke out against the move, saying it is a waste of taxpayers' money as it does not address the root cause of the PM2.5 problem.
On Facebook, Korrawee Prissananantakul, a Bhumjaithai MP for Ang Thong, criticised the move to offer free public transport, saying it will not help ease the PM2.5 problem.
"This policy will be a success if car owners agree to leave their vehicles at home and use public transport. But will this actually happen? It's not easy [to convert long-time car owners into public transport riders]," he wrote.
He added that instead of asking the operators to provide free transport, the government has allocated a budget of 140 million baht to compensate them for lost revenue.
"The government is spending taxpayers’ money to solve the problem in Bangkok. Who between the people and private operators will actually benefit from it?," Mr Korrawee noted. "Don't forget that people in other provinces are also struggling with the PM2.5 problem as much as Bangkok. Will the government also help them like those in Bangkok?"
'Waste of money'
Jessada Denduangboripant, an environmental expert with the Faculty of Science at Chulalongkorn University, said on Facebook yesterday that the 140-million-baht budget allocation is a waste of money.
He suggested that the money would be better spent to buy air purifiers for distribution to affected schools.
Thon Thamrongnawasawat, a marine ecosystem expert, said on Facebook that the government can anticipate the PM2.5 situation in advance using modern technology, but it has still failed to promptly respond to the problem.
"We have been hit by the severe dust pollution since the middle of last week. But no clear measures were rolled out until Saturday when people were offered free public transport," he wrote.
Pichet Kunadhamraks, director-general of the Department of Rail Transport, said yesterday that a total of 1,634,446 people used free electric train services on Saturday, a 45.29% increase compared to the average numbers recorded on the previous three Saturdays of this month.
For example, 451,251 passengers used the Blue electric rail line per trip (a 38% increase) while the Airport Rail Link saw 68,903 passengers using its free service per trip (a 25.61% increase). A total of 857,878 passengers also used the BTS Green Line per trip, or a 46.07% increase, Mr Pichiet said.
