DLT, army cracks down on meter-shunning cabbies…. for a day

PATTAYA:--The Chonburi Department of Land Transport launched a one-day “crackdown” on Pattaya metered taxis after numerous complaints about overcharging.

 

DLT representative Somart Kang-gnuen and soldiers set up a checkpoint near Central Festival Pattaya Beach Feb. 7 to catch cabbies not using meters and others hiring out their cars for private charters.

 

Somart said the task force caught “many” cabs not using their meters and fined each one 1,000 baht. They also inspected the vehicles themselves, fining drivers 2,000 baht each for cars that didn’t meet DLT standards.

 

The one-day crackdown has been the only follow-up to a supposed clampdown on metered cabs launched by the military in August. The so-called “D-Day” for cabbies came and went Aug. 22 with the army paying only lip service to an effort to stop cabs from camping outside hotels and shopping malls and requiring them to use meters.

 

With the lack of enforcement, Somart said the department again has been flooded with complaints about drivers who refuse to use meters or claimed they didn’t work.

 

Read more: http://www.pattayamail.com/news/dlt-army-cracks-meter-shunning-cabbies-day-202182

 

-- © Copyright Pattaya Mail 2018-02-16

A one day crackdown, total waste should be every day, that is the only way to stamp it out.

Checkpoint? Would be far better to have an undercover passenger use the cabs and take note of which ones didn't use a meter, then round them up later. That way the drivers would fear every passenger.

Ignore them - use Grab Taxi, more reliable and cheaper

23 minutes ago, colinneil said:

A one day crackdown, total waste should be every day, that is the only way to stamp it out.

And they even made it public that it's only one day 

Well,  one day is better than no day. 

Edited February 16, 20188 yr by steven100

functioning meter taxis would be such a good thing in Pattaya !

20 minutes ago, steven100 said:

Well,  one day is better than no day. 

the Junta should hire you as their PR guy!!

Well,  one day is better than no day. 

Another half assed job done by a half assed government.

Sent from my SM-N950U1 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

To call them half assed is an insult to "half asses"

only 1 day in one place in Thailand what a joke. Copy Singapore that has a number of inspectors NOT IN UNIFORM that dress as tourists and take rides to various places in taxis; checking meters, fares, cleanliness of cab, manners of the driver and is the taxi licenced as well as the driver. Fines are steep.

2 hours ago, colinneil said:

A one day crackdown, total waste should be every day, that is the only way to stamp it out.

Why try to stamp it out? How does the police/army profit from that?

 

Much better to do an unannounced 1 day crackdown, get positive media coverage, and earn a ton of money.

Here is what they need to do  Have a team of 2 officers roaming the city  looking like tourists spot checking cabs on an ongoing basis

They will find offenders all the time and over a period of time word will get out that it is not cool to not turn on your meter

 

Of course, this is too logical for the Thai authorities to implement 

3 hours ago, Rimmer said:

one-day “crackdown”

should be OK for tomorrow.

45 minutes ago, realenglish1 said:

Here is what they need to do  Have a team of 2 officers roaming the city  looking like tourists spot checking cabs on an ongoing basis

They will find offenders all the time and over a period of time word will get out that it is not cool to not turn on your meter

 

Of course, this is too logical for the Thai authorities to implement 

Nothing to do with logical, if all the cabs have to be legal, how do you screw them all for tea money? can't do anything to interfere with monthly brown envelopes from the cab owners..... 

Don't blame the taxi drivers, we all know they're whiter than white because of all the lost wallets they return. Blame the people who use the taxis

3 hours ago, Rimmer said:

LT, army cracks down on meter-shunning cabbies…. for a day

Oh, only a day and the next day business as usual?????  

3 hours ago, Stoker58 said:

Checkpoint? Would be far better to have an undercover passenger use the cabs and take note of which ones didn't use a meter, then round them up later. That way the drivers would fear every passenger.

Too much common sense for the DLT to think of that.

3 hours ago, Thian said:

And they even made it public that it's only one day 

What was that I said about common sense?

4 hours ago, Stoker58 said:

Checkpoint? Would be far better to have an undercover passenger use the cabs and take note of which ones didn't use a meter, then round them up later. That way the drivers would fear every passenger.

That would take initiative; not something for which Thai government departments are famed. 

3 hours ago, JoePai said:

Ignore them - use Grab Taxi, more reliable and cheaper

Not always. I took a taxi from Nakhon Chaiair bus terminal to my hotel and the fare was 245 baht. It cost me 300 baht using Grab Taxi for the return trip.  

4 hours ago, Stoker58 said:

Checkpoint? Would be far better to have an undercover passenger use the cabs and take note of which ones didn't use a meter, then round them up later. That way the drivers would fear every passenger.

I agree!! They also can catch the ones that refuse a fare!

Always demand a taxi turns on their meter, or refuse to ride with them.

In developing countries the authorities are not able to run sustained campaigns or sustained enforcement against categories of lawbreaking unlike better resourced, trained and motivated authorities in more developed countries. Instead they tend to run one-off or periodic campaigns...if anything. That's how it is all over the world.

 

When you choose to live in a developing country why complain that you live in a developing country.

 

 

Edited February 16, 20188 yr by Ketyo

20 minutes ago, flyingdoc said:

Always demand a taxi turns on their meter, or refuse to ride with them.

In BKK yes but in Pattaya it means you will have to walk...

Long time overdue...

 

Lets hope it is the first of many until they learn to use there meters.

 

Once again I see they need the Army to get things done.

4 hours ago, Stoker58 said:

Checkpoint? Would be far better to have an undercover passenger use the cabs and take note of which ones didn't use a meter, then round them up later. That way the drivers would fear every passenger.

Why wait?

 

undercover cop gets in, if meter is not being used, just start the paperwork there and then... no if’s buts or maybes (cop should also have a recording device)

 

the phycological deterrent is the same.... 

 

or better... also have the cop tell the taxi drivers that are using meters, that they are doing a good job, so the presence of an undercover operation is more widely known and accepted

Caption: "For zero miles on the meter you tyre are well worn..."

Oh Lovely Rita Meter Maid Pattaya needs you. 

2 hours ago, 1337markus said:

only 1 day in one place in Thailand what a joke. Copy Singapore that has a number of inspectors NOT IN UNIFORM that dress as tourists and take rides to various places in taxis; checking meters, fares, cleanliness of cab, manners of the driver and is the taxi licenced as well as the driver. Fines are steep.

Wouldn't work with these savage, there'd be a lot of murdered or brutally beaten meter inspectors.