Govt urged to build sky lanes for bikes and foster cycling culture to tackle traffic, pollution

[webfact]

Govt urged to build sky lanes for bikes and foster cycling culture to tackle traffic, pollution

By The Nation

 

 

The government must encourage the use of bicycles by building more sky lanes for bikes, the chief of the engineers council has suggested.

 

Professor Suchatvee Suwansawat, president of the Council of Engineers Thailand, said that currently traveling on a bicycle in Bangkok was full of pitfalls, citing the lack of safe biking paths, exposing riders to the high risk of being hit by cars or motorcycles.

 

He said there had been cases of foreign tourists choosing to travel by bicycle and losing their lives in road accidents. He also cited poor convenience for bikers due to city planning problems in Bangkok, as well as cyclists being exposed to high pollution such as PM2.5 dust particles and other toxic gases from traffic congestion for a long time.

 

He suggested that the government review its plans and construct more sky lanes, which could be done by choosing safe and convenient areas near the Airport Link that connects East Bangkok and Suvarnabhumi Airport to Phya Thai, the centre of the capital; installation of bicycle lanes with lightweight steel structures to the Airport Link pole that is capable of supporting the weight of the electric train.

 

These lanes could be used as a round-trip bike lane for a distance of more than 20 kilometres with ramps at various bike stops from Lat Krabang Station, Thap Chang, Rama 9, Hua Mak, Khlong Tan, Ramkhamhaeng, Phetchaburi, Makkasan, Ratchaprarop, and Phya Thai.

 

He urged the government to promote travel on bicycles with additional measures to create facilities to support a cycling culture, such as bicycle lock zones in official places or increasing parks for bike exercise.

 

He said these measures would not only decrease air pollution, but the exercise would also promote good health. Citizens in many cities around the world such as Boston, London, Paris, Beijing, Singapore and Copenhagen are using “bicycles” for travelling in their everyday life.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30377578

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2019-10-21

Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking Thailand news and visa info

[RotMahKid]

Did they also think of locked parking places for the bikes at the stations. or do they expect them to take the bike in the train 555.

[mok199]

In a Nation that can't even control its vehicle emissions and plastics abuse, this would be nothing more than an opportunity to skim some cash...No, Thailand is too in love with its diesel engine.

[jaiyen]

Riding a bike will never decrease the air pollution. What a stupid statement !  Also the air pollution will be the same on a sky lane as on the road.

 

[yellowboat]

The bike sharing business was totally trashed.  cha cha's gifted bike lanes to the people Bangkok was a total disaster.  A disaster he never seemed to have acknowledged.  

 

Is there not that very wide and long stretch of elevated sidewalk that connects Sukhimvit with Lumpini ?  How is that used today? 

 

Few people will want to ride if the air quality is poor.  In Beijing, people just live with the fact they will live five years less than the average Chinese, or they leave Beijing. 

Edited October 21, 2019 by yellowboat

[ChrisY1]

It will never happen as we all know...just some clown blowing off.

Anyway, the motocycles would soon be up there if it ever did eventuate

[legend49]

We have a number of bicycle lanes in CNX. Signs say bikes or walkers only; amazed at the number of motor scooters using them ( if there weren't bollards at entry of each one I would see cars too) and going the wrong way. A lot of money wasted for a few locals to use a shortcut on motor scooters.

[Thian]

9 hours ago, webfact said:

Citizens in many cities around the world such as Boston, London, Paris, Beijing, Singapore and Copenhagen are using “bicycles” for travelling in their everyday life.

The difference is that those countries also have a real police force....

[mickey rat]

Just saw two bicycles driving down the road with one cop on motorcycle and mini van in two. That's the Thai version! Also beautiful new elevated bike lane running between Phethaburi and Cha-am that knowone uses is a sight to behold. Must have spent a fortune.???? 

[steve187]

23 minutes ago, Thian said:

The difference is that those countries also have a real police force....

but taking London it has gone out of its way to ban cars from the capital, emissions and congestion charge, not just the policing, the motorists that are left are more disciplined

[Thian]

5 hours ago, steve187 said:

but taking London it has gone out of its way to ban cars from the capital, emissions and congestion charge, not just the policing, the motorists that are left are more disciplined

Yup, and in Thailand the cyclist will have to breath the fumes from those dinosaur buses who'll even cut them off all the time.

 

Thailand should hang those elevated cycletracks under the bts lines...but better just forget about it, it will never work in Thailand. They even can't stop motorists from driving against traffic.

[Skallywag]

"Like you, and everyone else, we are stuck in this fossil-fuel economy and without systemic change, our lifestyles will keep on causing climate and ecological harm."

Quote from the "extinction rebellion" last week, pretty much sums it up

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-50067855?ns_source=facebook&ns_campaign=bbcnews&ns_mchannel=social&ocid=socialflow_facebook&fbclid=IwAR3L87bYy34G2PG0XOHKlYj-61WFutG21zn47NTOmR9jWhJa3vGDZYoS6W4

[RichardColeman]

Unless he's riding backwards ,can someone explain to Thais first that you ride with the arrow not against it ? Classic photo !

Edited October 21, 2019 by RichardColeman

[klauskunkel]

It's against my fashion sense to go cycling wearing a gas mask. But, hey, it would be a great promo picture for the TAT.

[Wiggy]

I guess they’re called “sky” lanes as that’s where you’re likely to end up if you ride a bike here. 

[YTP]

Riding a bike to work would be a great idea that I would totally do... if the office had a shower.

There's no way I would sweat buckets riding a bike to work and then sit in my own grime for the next 8-10 hours.

It's not just safety on the roads, there are reasons that others have mentioned like where to lock them up, etc.