Taxis’ service life to be extended from 9 to 12 years

By The Nation

 

 

The Cabinet on Tuesday gave the green light to extending the service life of taxis from nine years to 12 years, in a move to reduce financial burdens for cabbies during the Covid-19 crisis.

 

Ministers also approved scrapping a measure for mandatory installation of GPS in taxis, meaning cabbies will be able to use their smartphones to track their vehicles travel data history.

 

Both measures were among six demands made the professional association of taxi drivers at a rally in front of Government House last Wednesday.

 

The Association of Public Taxi Motorists also wants the government to scrap a draft bill allowing private vehicles to be used for ride-hailing services, to control the price of taxi fuel, to cap interest on taxi-related loans, and to reduce taxi insurance.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30394588

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-09-16

 

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24 minutes ago, webfact said:

The Cabinet on Tuesday gave the green light to extending the service life of taxis from nine years to 12 years, in a move to reduce financial burdens for cabbies during the Covid-19 crisis.

Can anyone explain to me how extending the cab life in any way helps a taxi driver out financially at this exact moment in time in paying his rent and bills school and bank loans ? 

Scrapping GPS is a bad idea.  Ban Lyft ? Then require taxi meters to be used every time, regardless of race of passenger. Require mobile payment and credit card services installation also ideally cash fares should be banned over time. There should be a large QR code on the outside/inside  of every taxi that passengers can scan for safety and reporting issues. All of this had been in effect around the world for years, no excuse. 

1 hour ago, webfact said:

The Association of Public Taxi Motorists also wants the government to scrap a draft bill allowing private vehicles to be used for ride-hailing services, to control the price of taxi fuel, to cap interest on taxi-related loans, and to reduce taxi insurance

Not a lot then .. why not round it up and be allowed to keep those bags of cash that turned up in the back once in a while ..

Cum on!  12 years?  There are to many <deleted> box old cabs out the now!   Should be reducing the amount of time to 7 years in a bids to improve the fleet.

Really?  Many of the cars are in an awful state and really stink inside...sometimes we have to let a few go before we get a good one.  Maybe they should also look at re-testing the drivers (if in fact they ever took a test) and lowering the age of the people allowed to drive taxis too - I have seen some behind the wheel who should certainly not be in that position (too old, trouble seeing, driving dangerously with no concern for the safety of the passengers, not having any idea of the highway code etc. etc. etc.). 

3 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

Can anyone explain to me how extending the cab life in any way helps a taxi driver out financially at this exact moment in time in paying his rent and bills school and bank loans ? 

would having to buy a new car add to the expenses he already has, just a guess

3 hours ago, Captain Monday said:

Scrapping GPS is a bad idea.  Ban Lyft ? Then require taxi meters to be used every time, regardless of race of passenger. Require mobile payment and credit card services installation also ideally cash fares should be banned over time. There should be a large QR code on the outside/inside  of every taxi that passengers can scan for safety and reporting issues. All of this had been in effect around the world for years, no excuse. 

Installing GPS and a QR code sticker is a hell of a lot cheaper than buying a new one. If they let them keep the old ones even one year longer, make them pay for these two customer safety features.  On another subject, I guess LOS will not be one of the first counties to adopt Robo  taxis.  If for one reason only; that they will all suffer some form of severe damage within the first 24 hours, keeping them off the roads.  Rinse & repeat.

Edited September 16, 20205 yr by The Deerhunter

2 hours ago, Grumpy John said:

Cum on!  12 years?  There are to many <deleted> box old cabs out the now!   Should be reducing the amount of time to 7 years in a bids to improve the fleet.

Don't forget also in the interest of SAFETY in this World Class Thailand .................LOL

You will be Fred Flintstone with your feet on the road running in some 12 year old cab

You guys don't get it. This is not to improve fleet, or improve experience or safety or convenience of the passengers.

 

This is purely to help taxi companies and (and some) drivers to be able to extend the period they can use a car. Abandoning GPS is yet another cost-saving decision, which will end up undoing what has been put in place for safety in the past. It is to lower their expenses, and to allow them to keep more money. Government always caved into any taxi drivers and associations demands... BUT...

 

It is eventually passengers who may choose to skip a cab because it looks old or wrecked or smells bad or... which at the end of the day will force taxi drivers to abandon the car anyway for lack of people wanting to travel with it.

6 hours ago, webfact said:

The Association of Public Taxi Motorists also wants the government to scrap a draft bill allowing private vehicles to be used for ride-hailing services, to control the price of taxi fuel, to cap interest on taxi-related loans, and to reduce taxi insurance.

To put them on the Christmas card list, qualify for an annual bonus & get a free turkey.

Well, most cabs in Bangkok belong to one of the two taxi corporations; the vehicles are rented out for a 12-hours shift at THB 600 - THB 800. Taking the minimum of one shift a day at THB 600, the vehicle bought in a revenue of THB 1.8 million - on the road 28 out of 28-31 days per month (allowing for maintenance/downtime) . 

Extending the lifespan to 12 years would result in THB 2.4 million - simple as that. If the car runs 24/7 at THB 800, the investment is even more interesting! 

I remember an interim Prime Minister 30 years ago, who brought in - among many other good things - changes in this field. The lifespan of taxis was reduced and meters became mandatory. 

Knowing the reliable care taking and preventive maintenance attitude of a Thai driver in general and a Thai cabbie in particular, I wonder who the real beneficiary of this "amendment" is? 

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Both measures were among six demands made the professional association of taxi drivers at a rally in front of Government House last Wednesday.

And again the government is going for the short-term solution instead of tackling the problem heads on. Its because they know the "silent majority" ( = passengers who use taxis) aren't organized and won't complain about these measures, even though it erodes the overall quality of the whole taxi sector. In the end its these customers who suffer from this.

 

Instead the government could engage brain and come up with other solutions. How about soft loans for new vehicles, or GPS installed for free now but you need to repay 20% per year for 5 years? Or make it deductable from income taxes, or whatever? 

we have some that run from BigC that are over 30 years old, they have meters but cannot pick up off the street. They were the first to be given some sort of Royal permission as explained by a driver so they can run as long as they hold together. Think they are all old Nissans.

so your shady rustbucket driver can drive around longer and if any accident occurs for BRAKE FAILURE or other...

7 hours ago, webfact said:

Taxis’ service life to be extended from 9 to 12 years

That wouldn't be too bad If there was a mandatory 6 month Full vehicle  Inspection (Not the one they do now for the Rego every year) than put a Sticker on the vehicle . No Sticker, Off the Road till one gets one.

6 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

Can anyone explain to me how extending the cab life in any way helps a taxi driver out financially at this exact moment in time in paying his rent and bills school and bank loans ? 

For taxi drivers that choose to buy their own vehicle instead of renting from a taxi fleet company, this will allow them to continue to use their vehicle for longer when the installments has all been paid off.

 

On average, the monthly installments are around 15,000-18,000 THB per month for 84 months. This usually takes up more than half of their income.

 

By allowing vehicles to operate for longer, the drivers are able to save more than 10,000 THB per month for a better quality of life and a bigger down payment when the 12 years is up. The new Corolla Altis can easily be driven for 12 years in safe and road worthy condition. Passengers would not notice, feel, or know the difference between 9 year old Corolla and a 12 year old one, unless they knew the production cycle.

 

It's a small change that gives tons of benefits.

8 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

Can anyone explain to me how extending the cab life in any way helps a taxi driver out financially at this exact moment in time in paying his rent and bills school and bank loans ? 

At least it might help those with a 9 year old car, they don't need to buy a new one for three more years, and those with an 8 year old taxi don't need to buy a new within the next year or so...????

14 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

Can anyone explain to me how extending the cab life in any way helps a taxi driver out financially at this exact moment in time in paying his rent and bills school and bank loans ? 

It's going to help the ones with 7-8 year old cars isn't it.

Nothing like the smell of a 12 year old taxi....

On 9/16/2020 at 3:00 AM, webfact said:

The Cabinet on Tuesday gave the green light to extending the service life of taxis from nine years to 12 years,

Does this include the ones with non-working meters (100% in Pattaya)?

On 9/16/2020 at 8:47 AM, Darkside Gray said:

You will be Fred Flintstone with your feet on the road running in some 12 year old cab

Yar-bah dabba do.