Chiang Mai Okays Taxi Fare Hike

[george]

Chiang Mai okays taxi fare hike

CHIANG MAI: -- The Chiang Mai Land Transport Office has given the green light for metered taxis in the northern city to raise their flagfall rate by Bt10, due to rising oil prices.

If approved by the Land Transport Department in Bangkok, metered-taxi fares in Chiang Mai will start at Bt40 for the first two kilometres, up from Bt30.

They will remain at Bt4 per kilometre after that.

Singkham Nunti, president of the Lanna Transport Cooperatives, which controls red song taew and metered taxis in Chiang Mai, said song taew fares would not be increased as the vehicles used bio-diesel.

The use of bio-diesel has helped red song taew operators cope with the rising oil prices, Singkham said.

So far, 1,100 out of 2,791 red song taew in Chiang Mai use bio-diesel on a regular basis, according to the Department of Land Transport.

The remaining song taew are expected to switch to bio-diesel by the end of the year.

Singkham said a further 60 taxis would be added to the Chiang Mai fleet by the end of the year due to growing demand

--The Nation 2005-05-10