Phuket Land Transport Office (PLTO) officials yesterday initiated inspections of taxi services at Phuket International Airport. These checks occurred ahead of the PLTO’s announcement that three new app-based taxi services, including Maxim, are now considered legal in Thailand.

 

These inspections took place at Phuket Airport from 4pm to 6pm. In their online statement, the PLTO said the checks were a collaborative effort with the Phuket branch of Airports of Thailand (AoT Phuket), the Phuket Tourist Police and the Sakhu Police. Their objective was to jointly investigate any illicit usage of private cars for passenger transportation, a practice the PLTO labels as black plate operations.

 

The officials specifically targeted individuals utilising private cars as taxis, a violation of the Motor Vehicle Act and the Road Traffic Act. The PLTO reported that two individuals were apprehended for illegally using private cars as taxis. In addition, 21 charges were recorded for breaches of the Motor Vehicle Act.

 

These inspections were conducted before the PLTO shared a public notice issued by the Department of Land Transport (DLT) that subtly indicated the legalisation of three more app-based taxi services in Thailand. The DLT originally posted its notice on Wednesday, February 14, with the PLTO sharing the same notice at 7.15pm yesterday February 15, more than an hour after the airport checks had ended, reported Phuket News.

 

By Bright Choomanee

Caption: Picture courtesy of Bangkok Post

 

Full story: The Thaiger 2024-02-16

 

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And those three new taxi apps are... <drum roll - slide whistle, cymbal crash>  Sharpen your machetes and let the Phuket Taxi Wars begin! 

Let the street brawls begin...

14 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

three new app-based taxi services

So witch is the legal apps then?

And didn't I read some time ago that the taxi mafia managed to get the apps forbidden on Phuket?

Load yer guns get ready for action, & polish yer baseball bats.

1 minute ago, bokningar said:

So witch is the legal apps then?

And didn't I read some time ago that the taxi mafia managed to get the apps forbidden on Phuket?

"And didn't I read some time ago that the taxi mafia managed to get the apps forbidden on Phuket?"

No idea what you read, but they are not forbidden.

3 minutes ago, bokningar said:

So witch is the legal apps then?

    This one 

15 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Their objective was to jointly investigate any illicit usage of private cars for passenger transportation

 

Yes, the problem isn't massive overcharging, refusal to abide by regulations, grossly inflated fares, or mafia thuggery, it's...private cars. Glad they have their priorities straight.

you read enough about the taxi maffia and the older taxi apps...