Cape Town: In the Bamrung Muang area of the Phra Nakhon district, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration ( BMA ) and the Thailand Walking and Cycling Institute Foundation ( TWCIF ) are promoting walking and cycling as a viable alternative to driving on six streets.
The streets are Din But, Mahannop, Bamrung Muang, Ratchabophit, Samran Rat and Tanao in Bangkok’s old city known as Ratanakosin area.
Information of the native initiative to encourage these “active freedom” activities, funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies, which has invested in 700 places and 150 countries around the world, were aired at an international convention this month.
Speaking on the outside of the Partnership for Healthy Cities Summit in Cape Town, South Africa, which drew some 200 participants from 52 places in 40 countries, Silpa Wairatpanij, council representative of the TWCIF, said the project has been carried out since early last month.
The aim is to minimize sedentary behavior, making healthy changes to people’s tastes.
We started the project to lessen the main risk factors for non-communicable diseases, particularly physical inactivity, because we are aware that NCDs account for the majority of fatalities in Thailand, he said.
According to World Health Organization ( WHO ), the four main NCDs– cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( COPD )– are responsible for 74 % of all deaths in Thailand, with about 400, 000 lives lost a year. About third are unnecessary, striking persons aged under 70.
According to Mr. Silpa, residents of the Bamrung Muang place had requested a pilot initiative to build the roads there by creating a walking street and painting road markings because the study found that about 30 % of people had an average daily journey of no more than one kilometer.
Additionally, the survey found that the majority of respondents did n’t walk to work or anywhere else in the neighborhood because there is n’t a pedestrian walkway. In their place, they want roads. They said if they walk, they may simply walk in secure places, he said.
He said Silpakorn University’s Urban Ally Center, which is located in the Phra Nakhon city, was given the opportunity to work with the BMA and the basis to create a pedestrian walkway along these six roads by enhancing general safety and reducing lane height reduction.
We are working closely with state and local governments. We spoke with them, urging them to use cycling and walking as modes of transportation in their day-to-day lives.
The majority of people were supportive of us, even though some shopowners along these streets expressed dissatisfaction because they do not have any parking spaces available for buyers anymore, according to Mr. Silpa.
Since the initiative began a year ago, though. More than 80 % of residents currently cycle, while 48 % of them still use pedestrian paths. Additionally, cars have slowed down their travel rate.
We discovered that the majority of drivers who frequently traveled at 40 km/h may reduce their speed on these roads to 20 km/h. This even means that they are aware that commuters are at risk of injuries if they move too quickly, he said.
Silpa: Restricting health threats
Second hour, last hour
Sanon Wangsrangboon, lieutenant governor of Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, said the BMA would like to build a similar job in four more places around industrial train stations: Tha Phra, Sam Yot, Phromphong and Lat Phrao 71.
It was researching the information and creating participation networks with different industries.
He claimed that the BMA chose these four locations because they each have four electric train facilities that provide daily service to riders.
He claimed that there will be bike paths and walkways built to connect the stations to reduce car usage. The BMA will construct bicycle roads and walkways to join these locations to the piers if these locations have access to water.
According to Mr. Sanon, many Bangkokians are concerned about how to leave their homes and how to get there ( the referred to as first and last mile ) on foot.
Because many roads and sois in Bangkok are without streets, forcing pedestrians to stroll on the road and harm their own health, they do not use public transportation. As a result, they opt for personal vehicles instead.
City Hall intends to improve cycling and walking safety by painting road markings from neighborhoods to public transportation routes. He said that Bloomberg Philanthropies will be asked to assist in funding the project.
Sanon: Project to expand
International plaudits
Thailand is at the forefront of efforts to prevent NCDs, according to Ariella Rojhani, director of Vital Strategies ‘ Partnership for Healthy Cities.
Ms. Rojhani claimed that her organization, WHO, and Bloomberg Philanthropies have collaborated with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration to reduce speeding and improve the safety of sidewalks and streets.
The city has given ownership to the initial investment and used its own funds to support the project.
Kelly Larson, director of Bloomberg Philanthropies, said her organisation has supported road safety since 2007 and Bangkok was part of the organisation’s initiatives covering public health perspectives to road safety.
The organisation has provided resources, technical guidance and support on road safety interventions, she said. We have been impressed by Thailand’s leadership in Southeast Asia, not just in terms of road safety but also in terms of public health issues, according to Ms. Larson.