Taxis Threatening To Blockade The Airport

[phuketrex]

Being reported in the media now they are currently blockading the Provincial Hall in Phuket Town and threatening to move to the airport if they don't get what they want.

[starkey_rich]

What do they want?

[wdr]

What do they want?

Legalize cheating

[stevenl]

What do they want?

Different division of allocated new permits and a cheaper concession.

[keeniau96]

Tuk tuks and airport taxis (excluding the few metered taxis we have in HKT) are absolutely the worst aspect of Phuket. Exorbitant costs, ripoffs and even assaults on customers are ongoing complaints and the biggest negative mentioned by visitors. Every new governor promises to do something about it but nothing has been done during my 8 years here. The common assumption is that the "dark influences" are running that show, and the golden grease is liberally spread as needed.

[baabaabobo]

Protest over Phuket Airport limo concession

The PBC staged a work strike in 2008 when rival service Phuket Mai Khao Sakoo first went into operation. File photo.

PHUKET TOWN: Some 100 members of the Phuket Airport Limousine and Business Cooperative Ltd (PBC) assembled at Phuket Provincial Hall this morning to protest a new concession that gives a rival group of taxis the right to operate 30 new vehicles at Phuket International Airport.

Airports of Thailand (AoT) yesterday approved a request by Phuket Mai Khao Sakoo to operate 30 more limousines at the airport. This infuriated staff of the PBC, which for years enjoyed a virtual monopoly concession and was the only taxi service allowed to operate a kiosk inside the arrivals terminal.

The PBC operates ‘limousine’ taxis, really just green-plated sedan cars, as well as a less expensive minivan service from the airport to Phuket Town and west coast resort beaches.

Two years ago the PBC staged a five-hour protest when the Phuket Mai Khao Sakoo service was launched, for the first time giving the PBC direct competition inside the arrival terminal.

There are also about 65 metered taxis operating at the airport, but their counter is outside the main terminal building.

There was also a recent crackdown at the airport on unregistered 'black plate' taxis that pick up and drop off passengers without paying fees to AoT.

The scene at Provincial Hall was relatively subdued earlier this morning as drivers awaited the arrival of Phuket Governor Wichai Phraisa-ngop, who is flying in to Phuket today and is scheduled to meet tour guides and tour company operators to discuss tourist safety.

However, there have been unconfirmed rumors that the PBC is considering a blockade of Phuket International Airport if their demands for a more equitable distribution of the new vehicle allotment goes unheeded.

In the latest development, after his arrival Gov Wichai explained to the PBC protesters that he did not attend yesterday's meeting on the new quotas, which cannot go into effect until he signs off on them.

A meeting will be held in a week's time to discuss the new quota and to find a solution acceptable to the PBC, he said.

-- Phuket Gazette 20/01/2010

[newsfooter][/newsfooter]

[ScubaBuddha]

PBC is considering a blockade of Phuket International Airport if their demands for a more equitable distribution of the new vehicle allotment goes unheeded.

More equitable for who? PBC of course. What of the recent reports of there being no metered taxi's left at the airport, arriving tourists told that it would be 1 or 2 hours before another metered taxi would arrive? Sounds like we need more metered taxi's. No more "limo's" please!

I reckon PBC's ridership is suffering heavily with the tourist slowdown and as everyone figures out their game realizes they can use the slightly more reasonably priced and safer driving metered taxi's. (Out the main door and to the right)

Just like the tuk tuks, the monopoly PBC were given for so long has swelled thier numbers to unsustainable levels. Anyone who has ever tried to park at HKT knows much of the parking is taken up by all these "limousines" sitting around. (Really, a Toyota Corolla is a limosene? Since when? It's a bit scammy to call them limousines.) Not to mention they drive like utter lunatics, even by Thai standards.

Please, big bosses in Bangkok, come and gut our archaic and outmoded transportation system. Give us baht buses!! Give us reasonable fares!! I know, pissing in the wind.

Edited January 20, 2010 by ScubaBuddha

[ScubaBuddha]

Tuk tuks and airport taxis (excluding the few metered taxis we have in HKT) are absolutely the worst aspect of Phuket. Exorbitant costs, ripoffs and even assaults on customers are ongoing complaints and the biggest negative mentioned by visitors. Every new governor promises to do something about it but nothing has been done during my 8 years here. The common assumption is that the "dark influences" are running that show, and the golden grease is liberally spread as needed.

Excatly. I say let them blockade. That way when they are all in a line will be easier to run them over with a tank.

Edited January 20, 2010 by ScubaBuddha

[salty]

It is a shame they had to waste time on a protest when they could be fleecing tourists as usual.

[geriatrickid]

It just dawned on me that all of my problems with "limos" were with PBC vehicles. The company that received the additional permits is the one with the grey cars (I think - correct me if I am wrong) and that doesn't do the bait and switch where they collect the fee for a private car and then shove you into a van.

Anyway, I stopped using these cars. Switched to the metered taxis 2 years ago based upon the good suggestion in here. Haven't ever regreted it since.

Edited January 21, 2010 by geriatrickid

[ScubaBuddha]

It just dawned on me that all of my problems with "limos" were with PBC vehicles. The company that received the additional permits is the one with the grey cars (I think - correct me if I am wrong) and that doesn't do the bait and switch where they collect the fee for a private car and then shove you into a van.

Anyway, I stopped using these cars. Switched to the metered taxis 2 years ago based upon the good suggestion in here. Haven't ever regreted it since.

I saw one of the non PBC vehicles up close last night. I thought the PBC and non PBC cars were virtually identical with the exception of the logo on the door, which from afar looks similar. They all have green plates, sometimes red if new, like all cars do. I've seen a few Fortuners and Pajero's in the fleets also.

[bellste]

Why could they not put an ordinary airport bus service into operation? Probably there will be many bus-operators who would like to do the job.

These PCB people demand to be the one and only that should have the right to operate there. These problems should have been solved years ago. But as usual, nothing has happend.

[ScubaBuddha]

Why could they not put an ordinary airport bus service into operation? Probably there will be many bus-operators who would like to do the job.

Because, unfortunatly, no one will dare try to compete with the monopolies as history has showed us that anyone attempting to start such a company gets intimidated, vehicles vandalized, and in many cases drivers brutally attacked. It is the way of the transportation mafia here. Nothing will be done until the big bosses in Bangkok come down and wipe the board clean. Until such time tourists and tourism will continue to suffer in Phuket.

[LivinginKata]

Why could they not put an ordinary airport bus service into operation? Probably there will be many bus-operators who would like to do the job.

There is an airport bus, but only to Phuket Town

www.airportbusphuket.com

[MyphuketLife]

There is an airport bus, but only to Phuket Town

www.airportbusphuket.com

And it runs about once an hour, often full, meaning that tourists at times have to wait 2 hours.

[NBT TV Phuket]

item--2--- on VDO on http://thainews.prd.go.th/newsenglish/prev...hp?news_id=1292

or

Airport Taxis protested at provincial hall over quotas.

Around 100 members of Phuket Airport Limousine and Business Cooperative Ltd on Wednesday morning came to protest against a concession to Phuket Mai Khao Saku Company to increase their quota by another 30 vehicles to serve passengers from Phuket international airport. The move followed the Airports of Thailand (AOT)’s approval to Phuket Mai Khao Saku Company’s request to operate thirty more limousines at the airport on January 19th. Worawit Srisakukam, the rival cooperatives manager, explained that the new concession adversely affected their business. He said he has 150 members and last year they faced a loss of 4 million baht. He said tourists also turn to travel in forms of group tours so the current number of limousines at the airport are sufficient to serve passengers. Phuket Governor Wichai Praisa-Ngob received the group’s proposal and pledged to consider it at a provincial level committee with accurate data of tourists’ numbers. He stressed that while he has not signed in agreement with the AOT’s concession, the new 30 vehicles cannot be operated. The governor also took the opportunity to seek cooperation from them to give services up to international standards to tourists.

weekly Andaman News NBT TV (VHF dial) at 8.30am & repeated on satellite C Band (usually net black) frequency 4134 Mhz at symbolate 2530 at 1pm & perhaps repeats on Phuket Cable TV channel 1 at 3.30pm, 7pm, 1.30am & 6.30am, broadcast to Phang Nga, Krabi & Phuket provinces & maybe Mazz Radio FM108 at 7pm in Phuket, Friday 22 January 2010 & http://thainews.prd.go.th/newsenglish/ & www.YouTube.com/AndamanNews