Land Transport Dept To Crack Down On Fare-Cheating Taxi Drivers

[webfact]

Dept Land Transport warnes meter cheating taxi



Bangkok, 7 May 2013, (NNT)-- Director General of the Department of Land Transport, Somchai Siriwattanachoke, stated that the department will crack down on fare-cheating taxi drivers.

Caught red-handed, the drivers, particularly those repeat offenders, will face a stiff fine and have their driver licenses revoked immediately.

Taxi garage owners found to have surreptitiously fixed the meters will also be subjected to a heavy fine.

A number of taxi passengers have recently complained that they have routinely been cheated by cab drivers who overcharged them by accelerating the fare meter.

The director general urged passengers to call the department's 1584 hotline to report on cheating taxi drivers, as the department only have limited number of officials.

According to Mr. Somchai, the department has already had cheating prevention measures laid out, such as a 6-month mandatory vehicle and meter thorough check up.

He also urged passengers to avoid using the services of cabs equipped with smaller sized wheels or damaged meters.

-- NNT 2013-05-07

[lemoncake]

No doubt good idea, but what about cracking down on ones who do not use meter at all?

[tomross46]

The taxi drivers supported the PTP in the last election. Since than the inflation rate has increased, but the meter fare is still 35 baht. Is this the war the government takes care of their supporters. This is another example that politicians can not be trusted. It makes no difference which party or which country. If a politicians lips move they are lying. The recent election in the USA is a good example, promise jobs, and expansion in roads and bridges, nothing done. Politicians never take responsibility for their actions, when it fails blame Bush.

[BangkokGastronaut]

He also urged passengers to avoid using the services of cabs equipped with smaller sized wheels...

Are we now supposed to check whether taxis have 15" or 12" radials? Are the meters "set" for a certain radius of tire? Do smaller wheels have to rotate more thus clocking the meter at a higher rate? Lots of unanswered Qs!

[Neilly]

No doubt good idea, but what about cracking down on ones who do not use meter at all?

Nope, nothing about Samui taxis...they're allowed to carry on as they like

[Zolt]

For any given piece of news on government policy, unless otherwise mentioned one should just assume that it applies to central Bangkok districts and will only be half heartedly enforced for a couple of days, it that.

Here I assume the police will round up a dozen "overcharging" taxis, overcharge them for tea money and then resume business as usual.

[JetsetBkk]

Director General of the Department of Land Transport, Somchai Siriwattanachoke, stated that the department will crack down on fare-cheating taxi drivers.

Earn your salary and come to Phuket.

[NongKhaiKid]

This is about right as it's time for yet another official " crackdown " and no doubt will achieve the " raging success " of all the others

[scorecard]

The taxi drivers supported the PTP in the last election. Since than the inflation rate has increased, but the meter fare is still 35 baht. Is this the war the government takes care of their supporters. This is another example that politicians can not be trusted. It makes no difference which party or which country. If a politicians lips move they are lying. The recent election in the USA is a good example, promise jobs, and expansion in roads and bridges, nothing done. Politicians never take responsibility for their actions, when it fails blame Bush.

There are more and more Bkk taxi drivers who will tell you all the promises by the paymaster (some as far back as 4 and 5 years ago), free cars and/or high cash gifts to help buy cars, free houses and/or big cash handouts to help buy houses and lots more never delivered, nothing.

Edited May 7, 2013 by scorecard

[Beng]

Taxi drivers in BKK are top honest compared to USM and HKT. The further you head down south, the bigger the taxi rip offs get.

[Pib]

For any given piece of news on government policy, unless otherwise mentioned one should just assume that it applies to central Bangkok districts and will only be half heartedly enforced for a couple of days, it that.

Here I assume the police will round up a dozen "overcharging" taxis, overcharge them for tea money and then resume business as usual.

I would like to disagree with you but I can't.

[rgs2001uk]

This is about right as it's time for yet another official " crackdown " and no doubt will achieve the " raging success " of all the others

Isnt this place, the hub of crackdowns?

[Skywalker69]

Director General of the Department of Land Transport, Somchai Siriwattanachoke, stated that the department will crack down on fare-cheating taxi drivers.

Earn your salary and come to Phuket.

Isn´t Chalerm down there taking care of things?

[Skywalker69]

This is about right as it's time for yet another official " crackdown " and no doubt will achieve the " raging success " of all the others

Isnt this place, the hub of crackdowns?

Long time since we had a HUB.

[Soi Sauce]

And remember when, at the stadium rally 4 taxi drivers, taxis were given away, and a hero was made.

Where is he now, and whjere are the passengers when money is so tite?

PTP? Piss on The Poor.

[JetsetBkk]

Director General of the Department of Land Transport, Somchai Siriwattanachoke, stated that the department will crack down on fare-cheating taxi drivers.

Earn your salary and come to Phuket.

Isn´t Chalerm down there taking care of things?

Nah - too far south for him.

[sscsamui]

Just like they crack down on the smoking laws... Not

[OzMick]

He also urged passengers to avoid using the services of cabs equipped with smaller sized wheels...

Are we now supposed to check whether taxis have 15" or 12" radials? Are the meters "set" for a certain radius of tire? Do smaller wheels have to rotate more thus clocking the meter at a higher rate? Lots of unanswered Qs!

Free answers! First, yes altering the wheel diameter to smaller would alter the gear ratio for the speedometer/odometer (and hence the fare meter) because the smaller wheel has to rotate more often to cover a set distance.

For standard 15" wheels fitted with 195/70 tyres, dropping to 195/60 would reduce the diameter 195mm x 10% (change in tyre aspect ratio) x 2 = 39mm. Wheel and tyre diameter = 381mm (15") + (195 x 0.7) x 2 = 654mm so percentage change = 39/654 = 6%

A narrower tyre on the same rim would have a larger effect, but for something a bit more radical, lets assume the cab is retro-fitted with 14" wheels and narrower tyres, say 175/60. The diameter becomes 356mm + (175 x 0.60) x 2 = 356 + 210 = 566 and the percentage change (654 - 566) / 654 = 13.5%

Edited May 7, 2013 by OzMick

[Locationthailand]

Another lean on taxi drivers - 1st they HAVE to pick up and carry passengers - no refusal, now they HAVE to use a meter and not over charge. And like the former, nothing will change. Of course raising the flag fall to 40 Baht (no real impact on us) would give these guys incentive to be a little more honest. Populist policies to gain votes are just that - vote getters - no need to implement them now really?

From personal experience, I find most taxis pretty good. I deliberately avoid old taxis, only use the new ones and that seems to have a better class of driver. The older ones get the modified wheels. Try making conversation with the driver as well, works a treat if you can get them to laugh.

Edited May 7, 2013 by Locationthailand

[webfact]

Tips to avoid problems with taxi drivers
MONTHIEN INTHAKET,
TANPISIT LERDBAMRUNGCHAI
THE NATION



Cabbies will be closely monitored, police promise

BANGKOK: -- People who ride in taxis should use technology to protect them from drivers with bad intentions, police say following reports of cabbies attacking passengers, notably women.

The Department of Land Trans-port (DLT) also plans to ask for faster access to the police criminal database when assessing applications for public transport licences. This would help ensure drivers have no criminal record or have not been in prison for at least two years.

Land Transport chief Somchai Siriwattanachok said officials would discuss how they could access the police database and how much detail they can obtain. For cabbies who commit crimes, their public transport licences could be revoked immediately, if the department was given a court order or a police report of a suspect confessing to a crime.

Pol Lt-Colonel Anchulee Theera-wongpaisal, deputy National Police spokeswoman, said police would set up checkpoints to search for weapons and stop taxis more often to see if drivers display clearly their name and licence number.

"Crimes can be prevented by precaution. People, especially women, should study their route so they can get out when they see the taxi taking a detour. If you don't know the way, you shouldn't take a cab, especially at night, as it's too risky. Remember the taxi's registration number from the information card or use your cam phone to take a picture and send it to friends," she said.

National Police spokesman Pol Maj-General Piya Uthayo said: "There are many good cabbies and only a few criminals, so garages should watch out and exchange information among themselves, as well as coordinate with the DLT to apply technologies such as GPS to track taxis, so people are more confident."

Phattheera Kanpakdee, 26, a state employee, said she used cabs a lot when she was a student because her classes ended at 9pm. But now she only takes one when necessary. If she has to hail a cab at night, she asks a friend to go along. She sits behind the driver, reads the taxi's licence plate number and information and even sneaks pictures when the cabbie isn't looking. She never dozes off, always observes the driver's behaviour and chats with friends on the phone about where she is.

Hotel employee Pattama Daeng-sem, 26, said since she left home early - at 4am - to go to work and finishes late, so she opted to travel in commuter vans. Once she was almost molested by a van driver, but managed to stall him by talking and offering valuable items and then discreetly calling her boyfriend to alert police. Since then she has asked for a different shift to go home earlier and has her mum give her a lift to work in the morning.

This is the first in a two-part series, the second of which will be published tomorrow.


-- The Nation 2013-05-08

[craigt3365]

No doubt good idea, but what about cracking down on ones who do not use meter at all?

Nope, nothing about Samui taxis...they're allowed to carry on as they like

Nothing about the Pattaya taxi mafia either.

[Thai at Heart]

Cabbies will be closely monitored, police promise

And this is the first line of this comedy piece.....

[darren84310]

No doubt good idea, but what about cracking down on ones who do not use meter at all?

Nope, nothing about Samui taxis...they're allowed to carry on as they like

That's because their not interested in protecting the tourists, just need to secure the votes in BKK.

It's understandable that taxis in other parts of the country where they don't have as many customers as in BKK don't use meters, because they can't survive on 10 journeys a day.... where the government fails is that all that is needed is to double the BKK rate.... the taxi drivers get enough and the customers know it's fair and don't have to argue all the time, which leads to conflict.

[craigt3365]

No doubt good idea, but what about cracking down on ones who do not use meter at all?

Nope, nothing about Samui taxis...they're allowed to carry on as they like

That's because their not interested in protecting the tourists, just need to secure the votes in BKK.

It's understandable that taxis in other parts of the country where they don't have as many customers as in BKK don't use meters, because they can't survive on 10 journeys a day.... where the government fails is that all that is needed is to double the BKK rate.... the taxi drivers get enough and the customers know it's fair and don't have to argue all the time, which leads to conflict.

We don't have metered taxis here in Pattaya because of the baht bus mafia. I'd guess that's probably the same reason in Phuket. Plenty of customers, but lot's of opposition to metered taxis.

I'd love to have them here in Pattaya. Even with a higher rate, it would eliminate the constant haggling to get a decent price from the baht bus drivers...and they'd have AC!!!!!

[OzMick]

No doubt good idea, but what about cracking down on ones who do not use meter at all?

Nope, nothing about Samui taxis...they're allowed to carry on as they like

That's because their not interested in protecting the tourists, just need to secure the votes in BKK.

It's understandable that taxis in other parts of the country where they don't have as many customers as in BKK don't use meters, because they can't survive on 10 journeys a day.... where the government fails is that all that is needed is to double the BKK rate.... the taxi drivers get enough and the customers know it's fair and don't have to argue all the time, which leads to conflict.

If they can't survive let them go broke and the market will sort itself. Trying to micro-manage every little section of the economy is a recipe for a mess and a bloated beaurocracy.

[epicstuff]

He also urged passengers to avoid using the services of cabs equipped with smaller sized wheels...

Are we now supposed to check whether taxis have 15" or 12" radials? Are the meters "set" for a certain radius of tire? Do smaller wheels have to rotate more thus clocking the meter at a higher rate? Lots of unanswered Qs!

not really basic physics if a wheel is smaller it will have to rotate more to cover the same distance.

[hellodolly]

Does any one know how the credit card scheme is working out for the taxi's. Seems to me with interest rates it just ups their cost of doing business there by they try to pass it on to the passenger with small wheels doctored meters and refusals for short rides.

[newermonkey]

This is akin to saying "Crack down on the Thai character" perhaps Thailand could also become the hub of "crack downs"

[AdamRich]

Bwaaahhhahahahhaaa. April Fools was last month.

[hellodolly]

No doubt good idea, but what about cracking down on ones who do not use meter at all?

Nope, nothing about Samui taxis...they're allowed to carry on as they like

That's because their not interested in protecting the tourists, just need to secure the votes in BKK.

It's understandable that taxis in other parts of the country where they don't have as many customers as in BKK don't use meters, because they can't survive on 10 journeys a day.... where the government fails is that all that is needed is to double the BKK rate.... the taxi drivers get enough and the customers know it's fair and don't have to argue all the time, which leads to conflict.

We don't have metered taxis here in Pattaya because of the tuk tuk mafia. I'd guess that's probably the same reason in Phuket. Plenty of customers, but lot's of opposition to metered taxis.

I'd love to have them here in Pattaya. Even with a higher rate, it would eliminate the constant haggling to get a decent price from the tuk tuk drivers...and they'd have AC!!!!!

I have only been to Pattaya about 5 times and can not recall seeing a tuk tuk there. Plenty of Baht buses but to go any where in the town you had to understand there route system. Pretty hard to do if you are only there for four or five days.

I also noticed that a lot of them will only pick you up at certain places. Go right by you even if they were empty.