THE METROPOLITAN Police's proposed solution to Bangkok's traffic problems is a step in the right direction, but given the absence of comprehensive planning, it is not surprising that the proposal has drawn major opposition. Bangkok's traffic system certainly needs a serious overhaul, but any measures to tackle it must be carefully coordinated - involving the full cooperation of all parties.
This is why the Metropolitan Police's proposal seems absurd. According to police, old cars should be banned from Bangkok roads, unless their owners are paying as much registration tax as new cars. The proposal should be fought against - not because it is pressing for old cars to pay higher registration taxes, but because it fails to take into account the carbon dioxide that old cars emit.
In fast-expanding Greater Bangkok, which includes four peripheral provinces - Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Nakhom Pathom |and Samut Prakan - any changes should include planning for the whole area. The Skytrain and MRT are positive advances, but both systems have failed to solve transport problems for those people who have to commute from the suburbs, or beyond.