Provincial Rail Transit: Why Is It Difficult to Build, and What Transportation System Fits? by alien เอเลี่ยน

My takes

What I like about this discussion is the concept of appropriate technology: the best technology is not necessarily the most advanced technology. It is the technology that fits the actual context, constraints, demand, and behavior of its users.

Summary

• The discussion asks why electric rail or dedicated-right-of-way public transportation systems are difficult to establish in provincial cities.
• Public transportation is a public good, so it should not be evaluated in the same way as a private service.
• A good system needs to balance three things:
  • People can use the service reliably.
  • The quality and convenience are sufficient.
  • Fares are affordable for the people who use it.
• A key challenge is long-term sustainability. A system cannot simply be built and then shut down after a few years because it loses money.
• If private companies could make a profit from public transportation in provincial cities, they would likely already be doing it. The discussion gives electric buses in Chiang Mai as an example, where an operator reportedly said it had never made a profit.
• The government therefore has a role in providing public goods, but public funding also has limits. The economic and social benefits created by the investment need to be considered.
• Using taxes intended for other public services, such as hospitals or education, to subsidize transportation without calculating the benefits created by that transportation could leave those other services with fewer resources.
• The problem in provincial cities is not only their smaller population. It is also their low population density and dispersed urban form.
• Many people in provincial cities use motorcycles and private cars. Rail systems therefore face first-mile / last-mile problems because trains follow fixed routes and cannot reach individual homes or small streets.
• Rail systems have high costs and low flexibility because their routes are fixed. In cities with dispersed populations, there may not be enough passengers at each point or on each trip.
• The speakers introduce the concept of appropriate technology as an important principle for designing transportation systems.
• A key example is Chiang Mai's red trucks:
  • In the central city, they can operate along relatively predictable routes.
  • Outside the city center, they can adjust their routes and reach areas near passengers' homes.
  • This flexibility helps solve problems created by fixed-route transportation.
  • Apps can further improve the system by allowing passengers to request a vehicle from where they are, improving first-mile and last-mile access.
• Problems with an existing system, such as fare management or operational issues, should be fixed through better management rather than abandoning a system that works.
• Another example is the shared-truck system in Sukhothai, which changes its service according to the time of day:
  • In the morning and evening, it serves local trips such as students, workers, and people visiting government offices.
  • During the middle of the day, it can carry tourists to the historical park and generate additional revenue.
• In Surat Thani, tuk-tuks operate somewhat like shared taxis, carrying multiple passengers and charging according to distance. The speakers consider this more appropriate to the city's demand than forcing a rail system onto it.
• For larger cities, a semi-BRT system could be an option:
  • In the dense central area, buses could use fixed routes and dedicated lanes.
  • Outside the dense area, they could return to normal roads and operate more flexibly.
• One advantage of BRT is that it can provide dedicated lanes without requiring rail infrastructure. This can reduce traffic problems, and the dedicated lanes can also be useful for emergency vehicles.
• The key question is therefore not "Should provincial cities have electric rail?" but "What type of transportation system fits each city's population, urban form, and travel behavior?"
• The speakers warn that asking people whether they want electric rail may produce a different answer from observing their actual behavior. Once passengers face real fares, real service frequencies, and first-mile/last-mile problems, some may choose not to use the system.
• Phuket is mentioned as an example where plans to connect the airport with different parts of the city need to consider changing tourist behavior after COVID. Tourist groups have become smaller and their travel patterns more flexible.
• The conclusion is that provincial cities should have sustainable public transportation, but they do not necessarily need to copy Bangkok or automatically choose rail as the solution.
• The appropriate system should provide reliable service, affordable fares, and a transportation model that matches the local context.

Key ideas

• Public goods: Public transportation is a public service that must be evaluated based on long-term benefits, not only short-term profit.
• Sustainability: The system must be financially capable of operating continuously.
• Appropriate technology: Choose technology based on the city's context rather than choosing it simply because it is more advanced.
• Population density: The number and density of passengers directly affect the viability of rail systems.
• Flexibility: Dispersed cities need transportation systems that can adapt their routes.
• First mile / Last mile: Dedicated-route transportation still needs to solve the journey from people's homes to the system and from the system to their final destination.
• BRT: A possible option for sufficiently large cities that are not suitable for full rail investment.
• Real demand vs. stated demand: People may say they want rail, but actual usage depends on price, frequency, convenience, and travel behavior.
• Local context: A system that works in Bangkok does not necessarily work in every provincial city.