A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Engineering, School of Civil Engineering

The rapid economic growth and urban sprawl of Bangkok has resulted in a higher volume of inner city freight transport. Increase of lluck transport affect not only the traffic condition but also the environment of the city. Nitrogen Oxide (NOx), Carbon monoxide (CO), and particulate matter (PM) are major pollutants generated from diesel engine vehicles. The effects of heavy truck on the traffic condition in Bangkok are realized. Time-based truck restriction, zonal restriction, and truck terminals are implemented to impede trucks from entering into the city. However, implementation of truck policies induces the number of pick-up trucks and vans delivering goods inside the city as a trade-off. To estimate the emission load, Vehicle Kilometer Traveled (VKT), travel time data and emission factors are needed. VKT data are usually calculated from average daily traffic (ADT) which is collected by Office of the Commission for the Management of Land Traffic (OCMLT). Unfortunately, the ADT is not categorized into distinguished vehicle types. In addition, it is time and labor intensive to collect the traffic composition from the entire Bangkok area. In this study, VKT is calculated by the data collected from roadside interview technique. The freight data including distance traveled, number of stops per day, origin and destination, travel time and others are collected from twelve traditional markets and two private truck terminals in Bangkok Metropolitan Area. Freight transportation characteristics of trucks running in Bangkok are revealed. Vehicle Kilometers Traveled is estimated and applied for the calculation of emission load generated from truck-based freight transportation in Bangkok. Finally, the consequence of truck terminal implementation in the reduction of emission load at each stage is determined and discussed.

Thesis (M.Eng.) - Asian Institute of Technology 2000