The 5.8 million vehicles on Bangkok roads will be reduced by 60%, some 3.5 million cars, if ride-sharing services are widely embraced, says Uber Thailand.
Bangkok ranked No.1 in Southeast Asia for traffic congestion, followed by Jakarta, Manila, Hanoi, and Kuala Lumpur.
Car owners in Bangkok get stuck in traffic jams 72 minutes a day or 24 days a year, according to a survey of 9,000 people in nine of Asia's biggest cities conducted by Uber, the San Francisco-based maker of the on-demand ride-sharing app.
"Ride-sharing can significantly ease Bangkok's traffic congestion, leveraging modern technology so passengers can efficiently commute as well as freeing up city space today used for parking spots," said Siripa Jungsawat, general manager of Uber Thailand.
Ms Siripa said the company is waiting for Thailand's 40-year-old Motor Vehicle Act to be amended to address ride-sharing services, as the existing law refers only to private vehicles, public vehicles and service vehicles.
Uber submitted a letter to the National Legislative Assembly calling for an amendment to the Act to allow ride-sharing via smartphone apps.
Uber was introduced in Thailand in 2014 and is available in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, Chon Buri, Chiang Rai and Khon Kaen.
Like other large cities in Asia, Bangkok faces choking traffic congestion, said Ms Siripa.
Citing an Asian Development Bank report, she said congestion on city roads in Asean costs 2-5% of GDP per year per country because of time wasted and the high cost of transport.
Moreover, around 80% of air pollution in Asia is produced by road transport, according to the report.
To serve Bangkok's 5.8 million vehicles, the city would need a car park roughly the size of eight Suvarnabhumi airports.
During peak hours, there are 60% more vehicles than Bangkok roads can accommodate, according to the Uber survey.
If ride-sharing services are widely embraced in Bangkok, it can free up space equivalent to 275 Lumpini parks, said Ms Siripa.
