Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has urged motorists in Bangkok to use diesel-powered vehicles only in cases of necessity, or to refrain from using them at all until the smog shrouding the capital clears.
Incomplete burning of diesel in vehicles has been a major contributor to soaring concentrations of fine dust particles, according to Gen Prayut.
“The government wants to seek cooperation from people wanting to enter Bangkok and surrounding provinces using private diesel-powered vehicles only in cases of necessity, or to refrain from using them for a certain period until the toxic dust situation is eased,” he said in a statement on Friday.
Levels of toxic dust exceeding safety standards in Bangkok and five surrounding provinces have been posing a health threat to people, he said.
To solve the problem, authorities in Bangkok and the five provinces have imposed short-term measures such as enforcing strict laws against vehicles emitting black exhaust fumes and strictly controlling dust at construction sites and outdoor burning. Authorities are also inspecting emissions from factories and spraying water into the air to reduce dust and clean roads.
However, the problem persists, he said, calling for motorists’ cooperation to limit the use of diesel-powered vehicles.
In the longer term, he said, more public transport must be provided and its use promoted, along with cleaner-burning motor fuels
