OPINION

Diesel hysteria

Re: "Fuming about diesel", (PostBag, Jan 30).

Some people need to chill out when they hear the word "diesel". It is not the diesel that is dangerous, but poor vehicle maintenance.

Perhaps it is time to introduce catalytic converters to Thailand, same as in the US and Canada. Or perhaps the SRT needs to bring back those good old-fashioned steam locomotives fired by oil or coal.

Getting hysterical over diesel is not going to help.

Legislating preventative and good vehicle maintenance would help, with inspections conducted nationwide on all vehicles more than five years old upon renewal of their polabor insurance. An immediate ban on diesel-powered vehicles is foolish.

Start with the bus belchers in Bangkok to see what happens.

Prior to building that monstrous concrete jungle for the Skytrain, a good light rail transit (LRT) or trolley system could have been installed at a fraction of the cost, making it more enjoyable for people to use public transport.

At the moment, both the Skytrain and subway are as appealing as taking a subway in New York. Yech!

Public transit should be a treat, not a treatment.

Re: "Haze shutters city schools", (BP, Jan 31).

Why are the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) and Prime Minister's Office dragging their feet in implementing measures to combat the PM2.5 pollution choking the city? Why only now is City Hall "inviting" construction firms to talk about possible measures to reduce dust generated from construction sites? Why will "more stringent measures" be rolled out only next week -- why not immediately? Why is the promise of soldiers checking factories for illegal discharges being couched in terms of future action, instead of being done on a regular basis? Why only hypothetical proposals to limit the number of vehicles in the city, shift to B20 fuel and ban smoke-belching diesel-powered vehicles?

Mr Prime Minister, Mr Governor, we're choking now! Instead of deflecting, and confusing the public with ineffectual nonsense like drones dribbling a few drops of mist over the city, we need serious action. There is no excuse for delaying these common sense measures to clear the air -- not only this week or this month, but for the long term.

Fence-sitting has never been a comfortable position when it comes to matters of national importance. And yet, here the government is doing just that by requesting Bahrain and Australia sit down and discuss the fate of Hakeem al-Araibi, the Bahraini refugee footballer.

A Google search tells us that Thailand and Bahrain do not have any extradition treaty. So why is it necessary, when Interpol have already cancelled their red notice against him, he has Australian refugee status, and has already claimed he would likely be tortured if he returned to Bahrain, for the Thai authorities to hold him?

Given that Thailand has dropped another point in the International Corruption Index (BP, Jan 30), it's surprising no one here had the wit to bribe the pollsters into giving an improved score.

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