Bangkok is infamous for its horrific traffic, but a tiny, perhaps inconsequential, dent was made in the problem on Sunday when thousands of people, including Transport Minister Chadchart Sittipunt, cycled into the heart of the city to celebrate “Bangkok Car Free Day 2013”.
The mass bike ride was one of a number of activities organized to promote cycling.
Na Phra That and Na Phra Lan roads in the capital were closed to cars from 6am to midnight, while many other roads reduced the number of traffic lanes for normal traffic to allow for bicycles.
Chadchart estimated that nearly 20,000 people took part in the campaign. “I also instructed top officials from the Transport Ministry to join the event to ensure that they are acutely aware of the ministry’s policy to work with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) in promoting the use of bicycles,” he said via his Facebook page. The BMA arranged activities for Bangkok Car Free Day with a number of other agencies.
To learn how traffic in Bangkok got so bad check out our Gridlocked articles on the sad history and frightening future of Bangkok traffic.
Transport Ministry records show that Bangkok roads have a total length of 5,400 to 5,500 kilometers. If the average car is about 4.5 meters long, the capital’s capacity for cars should only be about 1.2 million. But the number of cars registered is over seven million and growing daily.
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Chadchart said he had ordered the Expressway Authority to do studies on how to develop bicycle lanes under the Phya Thai – Chaeng Wattana expressway and the Art Narong – Ram Indra – ring road, the Nation reported.
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