Phuket Officials Push For Buses From Airport To Main Beaches

[webfact]

Phuket officials push for buses from airport to main beaches

Phuket Gazette

The ‘Airport Bus’ is currently the only bus service operating from the airport.

PHUKET: -- Phuket Provincial Land Transportation Office (PLTO) Chief Terayout Prasertphol has announced that his office will apply for Phuket to have two new bus routes operating from the airport: one to Rawai and another running through Patong to Kata-Karon.

He expects bus services along the new routes to be in operation by February.

“The next step is to apply to the Department of Land Transport in Bangkok. If they approve, we can then offer concessions for private operators to provide bus services on those routes,” said Mr Terayout.

The services will offer “hop on, hop off” bus stops. Exactly where the bus stops will be is to be discussed at the next Provincial Transportation Committee meeting, for which a date has not yet been set, he added.

The PLTO has offered three bus-service concessions since 2003, Mr Terayout explained.

The Airport Bus Phuket company already provides services on one route, from the airport to the bus terminal on Phang Nga Rd in Phuket Town.

The other two concessions are for a bus service within Patong and another from the airport to Kamala, Patong, Karon and Kata.

“However, no operators applied to provide bus services on those two routes for fear of being attacked by ‘mafia’,” Mr Terayout told the Gazette.

“When we apply to Bangkok for permission to offer concessions for the two new routes, we will also apply to revise the Airport-Kamala-Kata route,” he said.

As one of the new routes will run from the airport to Patong and Kata, the revised route will terminate in Kamala, he explained.

“We got approval for this route when I was chief here a few years ago. At that time, no bus owner bid for this route because they were afraid of being attacked.

“This time the situation has changed. People are more aware of creating a good reputation for Phuket. With the revised routes, we are sure that kind of problem will not happen again,” Mr Terayout said.

The conditions of the concessions to be offered stipulate that all buses be air conditioned, seat no more than 30 passengers and have room for tourists’ luggage

Both the Airport-Rawai bus and the Airport-Patong-Kata-Karon bus are to run 32 trips (16 each way) a day. The maximum fare will be 70 baht on the Rawai bus and 71 baht Kata-Karon bus. The minimum fare on either bus will be 18 baht.

“Airport limousines cannot protest because it is our duty to arrange transport services for the public, and taxi operators in Patong and Kata-Karon should be glad because the bus will bring them customers,” said Mr Terayout.

“When tourists get off at Patong or Kata Karon, they will ask a taxi or motorcycle driver to take them to their hotel,” he added.

Source: http://www.phuketgazette.net/archives/articles/2011/article11422.html

-- Phuket Gazette 2011-11-12

[LivinginKata]

“This time the situation has changed. People are more aware of creating a good reputation for Phuket. With the revised routes, we are sure that kind of problem will not happen again,” Mr Terayout said.

Are these officials serious .... do they really think an airport bus to Patong will be allowed to operate ... not happen again ... dream on baby.

[lujanit]

A few years ago a baht bus was started between Karon and Kata. I was told that on the first day the tuk tuk mafia stopped the driver and told him if he continued he was a dead man. End of service on the first day.

This current proposal will never get up and operate. The mafia and the cops have too much to loose. I lived in Phuket for 2 years and left because of the mafia.

[LivinginKata]

A few years ago a baht bus was started between Karon and Kata. I was told that on the first day the tuk tuk mafia stopped the driver and told him if he continued he was a dead man. End of service on the first day.

This current proposal will never get up and operate. The mafia and the cops have too much to loose. I lived in Phuket for 2 years and left because of the mafia.

That was quite a number of years ago, and the bus driver was very badly beaten. End of that service. The route licence continues to remains open for tender. And they are taking about a public bus from airport to Patong. Dream on...

[TheWalkingMan]

On the day this service starts could someone video it and post it somewhere. I have a feeling that it will be exciting. Better yet, set up a ustream account and broadcast it live.

[KeyserSoze01]

"When pigs fly" I believe is an appropriate comment on this article. The only way this would work is if the army places armed guards on the buses to deal with the inevitable blockades and beatings by the tuktuk mafia.

[Felt 35]

That bus should be armoured!

[Semper]

"When pigs fly" I believe is an appropriate comment on this article. The only way this would work is if the army places armed guards on the buses to deal with the inevitable blockades and beatings by the tuktuk mafia.

Good idea. And the guards should have the orders to fire at will, that should get rid of the "tuk tuk maffia"

Edited November 12, 2011 by Semper

[richard_smith237]

I wonder how many people avoid repeat visits to places like Phuket because of issues such as violent Tuk Tuk drivers...

Phuket would be a lovely Island once they rid the place of the scum sucking the life and culture from the island.

But like Spanish tourist islands, money hungry locals and scams will continue to exist. It’s to be expected and for the initiated to be either tolerated or avoided... We have the choice.

However, it is a real shame when a beautiful Island such as Phuket is so openly destroyed by greed from such a base level. We all know how this 'attempt' at making the transport more 'price friendly' will be dealt with, unless the very same people who run the Tuk Tuks are involved and stand to make profit this bus service will cease to exist in a very short period of time.

The only winners in this situation are the officials who take money to award the contract...

In order to ‘clean up’ an area such as Phuket – there would almost need to be a war. That in itself would become ‘the problem’ …

I really don’t see a way of cleaning this up until the People in power and profit genuinely care about these issues and want them dealt with rather than taking these ‘face saving’ and hypocritical measures….

Edited November 13, 2011 by richard_smith237