Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit announced the success of a seven-day initiative that provided free public transport in Bangkok and surrounding areas to reduce PM2.5 air pollution.

From January 25 to 31, the measure led to a 36.81% increase in bus passengers and a 39.62% rise in electric train users.

The scheme encouraged motorists to leave their cars at home, reducing traffic congestion and helping lower air pollution levels in the city.

On January 25, PM2.5 levels significantly dropped, and the number of vehicles on the roads decreased by 350,000.

This resulted in a reduction of carbon dioxide emissions by 2,000 kilograms per day and nitrogen emissions by 14.8 tonnes per day.

During the seven-day period, 5,007,491 bus passengers and 14,506,212 train passengers were recorded, marking significant increases over the previous week.

The success of the initiative demonstrated that lower fares could drive up public transport usage, leading the Transport Ministry to plan the introduction of a 20-baht flat fare by September.

However, some workers expressed dissatisfaction, citing overcrowding on the BTS Skytrain, as the free transport measure led to increased ridership from workers who previously could not afford the fare.