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

[Basil B]

5 hours ago, Rimmer said:

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.

That means some were so word must have got out...

 

1K for not using the meter??? Pea Nuts, that's about 2 hours work for the robbing b******s, and tomorrow back to the old ways. take the Taxis off the road for two weeks would get better results.

Edited February 16, 2018 by Basil B

[Jonah777]

YUP  ...should be everyday police inspect cabs   ....but it sure is one more day then in the last 20 years of doing nothing.

[Media1]

1000 baht fine lol haha... What a charade a bit like the police reforms.New government please

[JRUSA]

3 hours 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 

How many Thai people really use a taxi.. so 2 Thai officers wouldn't work..

[wvavin]

They are only good for doing such stupid and time wasting activity. Can one day improves anything?

[peperobi]

Take just away from all the TAXIMETER Bangkok, Pattaya and where ever, none need it...

[Jonathan Swift]

6 hours ago, JoePai said:

Ignore them - use Grab Taxi, more reliable and cheaper

I got cheated by a grab taxi driver who charged me cash, then I found out my credit card had also been charged. He had his ID and license turned around so you couldn't see, and I think his meter was rigged to run fast. The Grab company eventually reversed the credit card charge, I don't know what they did to the driver. So remember, Grab is still using local drivers, and you need to be attentive. I took a video of the meter as it was running, then photos of the doors, numbers, and license plate

[Tchooptip]

You are welcome on Koh Samui too. 

[iroc4life]

35 minutes ago, JRUSA 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

This would just be a money maker for the 2 officers chosen, They would no doubt collect 50% of the fine for themselves and not write the citations, Making themselves easy money everyday.

[a1falang]

3 hours ago, tweedledee2 said:

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.  

GrabTaxi drivers frequently cancel at the last minute too. Potentially disastrous if you're going to the airport.

[Stevemercer]

I don't think I have ever seen a taxi with a meter, serving the tourist trade, on Phuket Island. All the fares seem to be fixed (800 Baht from the Airport to Patong: 400 Baht from Patong to Karon beach etc.). The taxi drivers never have change and have the cheek to expect a tip!

[spidermike007]

If there is anything at all that you can count on with this administration, it is that any and all "crackdowns" will last anywhere from 24 hours, to two weeks. Never, ever any longer. They simply do not have it in them. Though this would be a great place to start, especially in Pattaya, Phuket and Samui, it is never gonna happen. The taxi mafia is just too wealthy and too powerful. They are essentially above the law. Any and all laws. Including the weak army laws.

Edited February 16, 2018 by spidermike007

[simtemple]

7 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 is what many Land Transport Safety Authorities do. Policing Taxis is also a public safety issue. Every aspect of Thai Land Transport Management is left wanting.

[mrfill]

I wondered what happened to Dave Lee Travis after his court cases. Seems like he got a job in Thailand...

[mark01]

Never used a Pattaya taxi, never will. Lazy, robbing *****!

[balo]

They should make all the one day crack downs public , so we know which day they will use meter.....

 

 

[lvr181]

8 hours ago, colinneil said:

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

Yup. This is the usual useless 'lip service' to doing something. 

 

No fr**king idea!

[cookieqw]

how do you catch a parked taxi for meter violations

[Hupaponics]

1.000 Baht. Well, they make that in the next few hours. 

 

What next? Phuket "crack down "? Lasting half a day?

 

Admit that you are scared of the small di*k "mafia". Pussies from both sides. 

[Elkski]

If they do enough 1 day checkpoints in random locations this would help

    If they use undercover Thai the taxis will just make sure to use the meter for Thai Passengers.  

I won't get in a taxi unless he puts the meter on. In BKK is where I use taxis.  I don't know if Pattaya is worse than BKK.  I would say 25% in BKK want to name a price or decline to take you even with a Thai woman talking.  They do look scared when you act like your taking their picture and taxi picture and say "tourist police".  Some even say ok meter. But I wave them off.  

Edited February 16, 2018 by Elkski

[Hupaponics]

I have a better idea!

Why they not do same same as with the fried banana vendors issue in Bkk.

Charge every customer 1.000 Baht if the "taxi" don't start the meter hahaha.

[Media1]

Bottom line army done exactly nothing as predicted 

[Elkski]

What is so bad about fried bananas?

[Elkski]

I read about rigged meters before my first month visit in 2016.   And i did see one.   It seemed every time I wasn't looking the meter would jump up.  I'm an electrical geek and then I noticed the extra wires. I told him what I was going to pay at my destination and pointed to the wires and told him to shut up.   There should be some sort of reward system for taking time to call tourist police and reporting these violations.  Plus serious life changing penalties.   You can tell I am naive. 

[Grumpy Duck]

They aught to do this at Esplanade mall in the evenings if there are 20 taxis there, 15 will say "meter broken" and try charging ฿300 for a 65-70 baht fare. If you insist on meter the say no no. And the cops there only keep traffic moving. 

[Outbackoz]

Should have been outside Central World Bangkok tonight. A line of cabs and not one prepared to use their meter.

[sambum]

2 hours ago, Benroon said:

How long do you think it would be before those two faces are known? 

Quite a while if they act like proper undercover operatives - oh, sorry, they'll probably want to shake the taxi driver down for not using his meter etc - after all, TIT! 

[9KPhalak]

I've gone through 9 taxis before I can find one that will take me.  Most of the time they run the meter though sometimes I have to remind them.  But I see a lot of Thais taking taxis.  This is in Bangkok and I take the BTS most of the time.  I don't understand why so many refuse to take me. 

[shy coconut]

The only taxi I take in Pattaya is pre booked to and from the airport.

Any other journey I use the baht bus, motor bike taxi or the in laws if 

they're in town.

I often wonder who takes the cabs and why, I guess some tourists take

comfort that they can get comfortably and safely to their destination

and are not aware about meter infringements.

 

Off topic, but generally taxi drivers are scoundrels!!

My old mum took a cab from St Pancras to Euston, a 2 minute journey and

was gouged for £15 by the shyster. Horrid little cartel operating in London 

 

[Andrew65]

20 hours ago, colinneil said:

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

What would be a much better idea Colin, would be to give these guys a decent pay rise.

 

I've been living in BKK for 20 years, the flag-fall on the meter was 35 Baht then, and still is today, it's probably gone up 10 Satang per km. I'd suggest a rise to 50 Baht and more per km.

 

I use taxis just about every day, my reglular journey is 47 Baht, but I always give the driver 60 Baht.

 

A few years ago, Spectrum in the Sunday BP asked some taxi drivers why they refused fares, all 3 replied, in so many words, that it just wasn't worth the time & effort.

 

(I spent a few months driving taxis in the UK, on a few Monday nights I managed to earn about £6 for 10 hours work, so I know what this is about).