More Taxis, Minivans At Phuket Airport

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More taxis, minivans at Phuket Airport

Tourists arriving at Phuket International Airport yesterday.

MAI KHAO, PHUKET: -- While occupancy rates on the island continue to plummet, Airports of Thailand (AoT) has agreed to allow 60 more taxis and minivans to operate out of Phuket International Airport.

A two-hour meeting was held at the airport today to work out a compromise between two rival concessionaires offering door-to-door limousine and minivan services from concession booths inside the arrivals hall.

At the meeting were Senate Transport Committee President Kecha Saksomboon and fellow Senate committee members, Transport Ministry Permanent Secretary Suphoth Sublom, and Phuket International Airport Director Pratueng Sornkham.

The meeting followed a gathering on February 4 to hear complaints from long-time airport concessionaire Phuket Airport Limousine and Business Cooperative Ltd (PBC) after the co-op learned that rival concessionaire Phuket Mai Khao Sakoo had been awarded the right to operate 30 more limousines at the airport.

In the previous meeting, no agreement could be reached and the AoT asked for more time to study the issue and find a solution acceptable to both sides.

Today, some four months later, both sides have finally agreed to a compromise that will allow the PBC to operate 30 more minivans and for Phuket Mai Khao Sakoo to run the 30 taxis, as previously agreed.

The move will raise the number of vehicles run by Phuket Mai Khao Sakoo to 110, with 50 minivans and 60 taxis.

The number of vehicles operated under the PBC will be raised to 180, with 150 taxis and 30 new minivans.

The new vehicles will be allowed to operate without an increase in concession fees until the two groups’ current concession contracts expire.

The PBC contract ends September 12, while the Phuket Mai Khao Sakoo concession runs until January 11 next year.

-- Phuket Gazette 2010-05-06

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[NBT TV Phuket]

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Phuket Airport allow more taxis and limousines in.

Phuket Airport has agreed to allow two concessionaires to add 30 vehicles each for their services at the airport. The compromised conclusion was reached after a two hour meeting on Thursday during a meeting chaired by the Senate's Committee on Transport and Communication led by Kecha Saksomboon and the Standing Committee on Tourism chaired by Mrs. Thanyarat Atchariyachai. They listened and discussed with related government officials, including Phuket Governor, Wichai Praisa-Ngob, Phuket Airport Manager Pratueng Sornkham, representatives from Phuket Airport Limousine & Business Cooperative and Phuket Mai Khao Sakoo Company to resolve the long-time conflict and ensure smooth operations and services at the international airport. The move enables the Phuket Airport Limousine & Business Cooperative to operate 30 more minivans and the Phuket Mai Khao Sakoo Company to run another 30 taxis. The additional number of vehicles will not be charged concession fees until their current concession contract expires. The Mai Khao Sakoo Company's concession ends in January next year while the other company's expiry date for concession is in September 2012. The Phuket Governor suggested that Phuket has long been facing problems related to public transportation at the airport, so clear systems or guidelines should be also laid out for other types of vehicles. There are transportation belonging to hotels, travel agents and unlicensed taxis, he pointed out, and suggested that they should be tackled so that service quality can be ensured, while people can make a decent living out of it as well.

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 & usually repeats on Phuket Cable TV channel 1 at 3.30pm, 7pm, 1.30am & 6.30am, broadcast to Phang Nga, Krabi & Phuket provinces, & repeated on FM108 Mazz Radio in Phuket; Friday 7th May 2010 & http://thainews.prd.go.th/newsenglish/ & www.YouTube.com/AndamanNews