Despite improvements in infrastructure – most notably the Skytrain and
underground train systems in Bangkok – congestion is still a thorn in the side of the
Thai economy, production efficiency and logistics. This problem has been faced –
and rectified – before, most notably in cities such as Los Angeles and Sydney, even
though neither of these cities have as modern or extensive a public transport system
as Bangkok. This has been achieved less through infrastructure development and
more through effective labour management. The critical traffic congestion of Los
Angeles in the 1970s-80s was largely solved with the construction of much more
extensive freeway systems in conjunction with more flexible working times,
especially in the public sector. By allowing public servants the flexibility of choosing
their work hours (as long as it added up to 36 hours per week), the peak traffic
condition periods in the early morning and afternoons were much alleviated, and it
also led to a significant increase in job satisfaction among workers.