Mr. Saksayam Chidchob, the Minister of Transport, revealed that during a Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister General Prayuth Chan-o-cha, the Ministry of Transport reported on measures to address the issue of PM 2.5 dust particles exceeding standards. Currently, the Department of Land Transport (DLT) is coordinating with the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, the National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), and Chiang Mai University’s Faculty of Innovation to help design mobile air purifiers to be installed on bus roofs.

The Ministry of Transport plans to pilot this initiative on Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) buses, with three buses per route across 129 routes. However, clarity is expected next week, and implementation is aimed for February, after which an evaluation will be conducted to expand the use to trucks. Additionally, for smaller vehicles, including motorcycles on the road, interested parties can adopt the designed air purifier model, with assurance that there is no obligation to purchase.

“We are currently in discussions with relevant agencies, and next week we will have a clearer view of the prototype that BMTA will install on the roofs and test. The principle is similar to installing air purifiers in homes, without needing to plug it in. The vehicle's movement will draw air into the system, measuring the air quality before and after the vehicle departs to determine the airflow and how effectively the air is filtered. It’s important to note that this is not a new concept, but rather an application of existing technology, as 70% of PM 2.5 pollution comes from vehicles,” Mr. Saksayam stated.

He further explained that the air purifier to be used on BMTA buses can intake 1 cubic meter of air. Tests by Chiang Mai University’s Faculty of Innovation found that at a speed of 20 km/h, the purifier can clean 20,000 cubic meters of air per hour per bus. In comparison, an average person requires 0.5 cubic meters of clean air per hour, meaning one bus running for an hour can provide clean air for 40,000 people.

The mobile air purifier has a lifespan of 400 hours, or about 2-3 weeks. If there is sufficient roof space, two units will be installed on each bus. However, it is confirmed that the cost of each unit is not expensive, approximately 500 baht, as it is made from PVC pipes.

SOURCE : www.thaipost.net