The government intensively issued measures to reduce PM 2.5
from black smoke monitoring in both trucks and freight vehicles.
On 6th February 2021, Mr. Teeraphat Prayurasiddhi, the Permanent Secretary of the Prime Minister’s Office, chair of the Subcommittee on Communication of the Solution on Air Pollution Problem with Mr. Thalearngsak Petchsuwan, Deputy Director-General of the Pollution Control Department, Mr. Chairat Pornsawat, Director of the Transport Supervision Division, Department of Land Transport, Mr. Pornlert Penpas, Director of the Thawiwattana District Office, Traffic Police Division and the relevant officials monitered proactive operation of the relevant agencies according to the Prime Minister’s command at Nim See Seng Transport 1988 Co., Ltd., Phutthamonthon Sai 2 Branch. This company has totally of 27-33 trucks/day, more than 150 cars/day of pick-up cars and most of them are diesel vehicles. The company has measures to reduce particulate matter as follows: 1) spray water to clean the area for reducing particulate matter in the morning 2) inspect the engine condition of vehicles as listed every day 3) notify the company staff and publicize to customers to turn off the engine while parking in order to follow preventive measures and reduce vehicle particulate matter problems as well as regularly maintain and inspect the engine condition.
Later, the Permanent Secretary of the Prime Minister’s Office and the team went to the Cargo Terminal at Phutthamonthon Sai 5, place for collecting and distributing goods. There are about 3,000 vehicles/day that running in and out which consists of small cargo truck from Bangkok, medium and large trucks from other provinces to transport and distribute goods. The Department of Land Transport has implemented in accordance with the measures to prevent and reduce particulate matter problems as follows: 1) announce and promote the government policies and penalties 2) provide consultation for engine maintenances 3) set up a vehicle black smoke check point in cooperation with the Department of Land Transport and 4) spray water to wash and clean the central area.
The result from the vehicle black smoke test was found that 60 trucks were not over the standard as determined by law and 62 pickup cars were found that 8 pickup cars had a black smoke value of 72-94% that exceeding the standard (Black smoke standard of the vehicle must not over 45%).
The Permanent Secretary of the Prime Minister’s Office said that during the next week, relevant agencies will inspect on-site for the black smoke vehicle detection at the cargo terminal, the bus terminals, the Transport Company Limited, boat ports, and markets around Bangkok. If those vehicle are found in black smoke, they will be stop using and the vehicle’s owner will have a heavy penalty. Therefore, vehicle’s owner should maintenance their vehicles continuously. As during 6-7 and 11-12 February, Bangkok and its vicinity will be accumulated of particulate matter, then we ask people to cooperate in reducing car use activity, construction activities that cause particulate matter, and refraining from open burning.
