In a statement yesterday, Pheu Thai Party gubernatorial candidate Pongsapat Pongcharoen vowed that, if elected, he would help reduce the commute times for Bangkok residents by 20 to 30%.
To achieve this goal, Ponsapat put forth several proposals, chief among them a sizable extension of the city’s light rail transit system.
Ponsapat proposed extending the existing light rail lines south from Bearing to Samut Prakan and north from Mo Chit to Saphan Mai. He also advocated scrapping the Ngam Wong Wan to Prasertmanoonkit Road expressway project in favor of a light rail line that would run across that same distance.
Others of Pongsapat’s proposals include a continuation of free bus service and a plan to build four tunnels along Ratchadapisek Road.
The Bangkok Post reports that Pongsapat’s policy hinges primarily on linking up Bangkok’s various forms of public transportation, allowing commuters to pass seamlessly between bus, light rail and boat transit.
