Officials to try again to impose order on Phuket taxis

[webfact]

Officials to try again to impose order on Phuket taxis
Prapaporn Jitmaneeyaphan

PHUKET: -- A renewed attempt is to be made to organize the island’s taxi drivers into officially sanctioned stands, despite the failure of an earlier attempt to set up a taxi stand in Karon.

A meeting was held on Tuesday afternoon (October 8) at the Phuket Land Transport Department (PLDT) to discuss the plan to set up organised taxi stands, in the hopes of ordering the taxi chaos on the island.

Phuket Vice-Governor Jamroen Tippayapongthada was set to chair the meeting but was required elsewhere, leaving the meeting to become of a general discussion than a decision-making session.

Currently there is no organised system to monitor and control the island’s dozens of unofficial taxi stands – the drivers of many of which are notorious for charging extortionate fares and displaying bad behaviour toward tourists.

In November last year an attempt to set up a regulated taxi stand in Karon failed because of lack of cooperation from drivers and lack of support from local politicians, and was abandoned.

At the meeting the PLDT showed a draft form for officials to use to check and regulate each taxi stand.

This time around, before a stand is officially approved, the plan is for the form to be signed off by four sets of officials – at district, provincial, police and PLDT levels.

PLDT officer Jaturong Kaewkasi said during the meeting, “The purpose of setting up official taxi stands is to make it easier to control them. At the moment, there is no law to control and enforce the regulations of the taxi ranks. We will use this method to control the number of taxis – it is better than letting them organise it themselves.

“We need to discuss this today, to see if you agree with this method or not, or if you have other ideas to help organise the taxis,” he told officials at the meeting.

The idea received support. Several officials also raised the issue of taxi drivers using public parking spaces as their own “personal” car parks – particularly on the island’s west coast.

Patong Police Traffic Inspector Ekkarat Plaiduang said, “I agree with the principle [of organised taxi stands], and I am still worried about the parking spaces for taxis, but issuing these certificates for taxi stands should not be rushed. It should be difficult to get approval as well, to avoid too many taxis around the town.

“The leaders of each taxi stand should control their stand in an orderly way.”

Weerasak Anekwongsawas, the Chief Administrative Officer at Karon Municipality, spoke about the situation in Hua Hin where he had seen a sign “reserving” three public spaces for taxis only.

“Taxi drivers should have their own stands because some [now] taxi drivers use public parking spaces as their own personal car park. This is messy.”

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/officials-to-try-again-to-impose-order-on-phuket-taxis-42278.php#news-alert


-- Phuket News 2013-10-10

[Soupdragon]

If feral animals move in on a location and try to make it their own it is normal practice to call in an exterminator. Just sayin......

[LivinginKata]

Yawn Yawn ... same old same ...

[steelepulse]

Not holding my breath on this one, but hope springs eternal. Get rid of these vermin taking up all the parking spots once and for all.

[eezergood]

Perhaps they should go & try to park on one of the public spaces! I KNOW that one spot in Patong is rented from the police

[Johnnie99]

Are the officials really admitting that the rule of law has broken down in Phuket?

That's quite a hefty matter.

[SDH]

Same old loud mouthed long story, you and I will still be getting ripped off this time next year, most likely by the same thugs as last year!

[monty1412]

You keep trying.. it aint getting any better

Here is the recipe you need

1) Grow a spine

2) Appoint a team of black taxi hunters.. any black taxi's found confiscate the car

3) Legit registred taxi not using meter or refuse to go to destination 10,000 baht fine on the spot or see 2)

4) Legit registered taxiNot dressed in blue shirt 5000 Baht on the spot or see 2)

5) Hire a farang supervisor of each team... farang is paid on a percentage of fines collected and officially handed in... less chance of wholesale corruption.

6) In line with 2015 ASEAN developments every registered taxi drive must be enrolled or have completed English course.. failure to do so see 4)

7) All taxi drivers registered are to have criminal background checks ......non registered see 2)....

Just get tough with these folks.... while you piss around and expect self administration it never is going to happen.

Funding for all of this can be done through sale of seized vehicles which should at least in first 6 months be a sizeable windfall

Armed police will need to escort the black taxi hunt teams as some of the less desirable taxi drivers might get a little boisterous once they realise there car is being seized. However this is good as you clear out both a black taxi and a driver who shouldn't be dealing with the public.

Lastly increase taxi fares by 15% and link to gas price index so good drivers can earn a decent living

[FireMedic]

You keep trying.. it aint getting any better

Here is the recipe you need

1) Grow a spine

2) Appoint a team of black taxi hunters.. any black taxi's found confiscate the car

3) Legit registred taxi not using meter or refuse to go to destination 10,000 baht fine on the spot or see 2)

4) Legit registered taxiNot dressed in blue shirt 5000 Baht on the spot or see 2)

5) Hire a farang supervisor of each team... farang is paid on a percentage of fines collected and officially handed in... less chance of wholesale corruption.

6) In line with 2015 ASEAN developments every registered taxi drive must be enrolled or have completed English course.. failure to do so see 4)

7) All taxi drivers registered are to have criminal background checks ......non registered see 2)....

Just get tough with these folks.... while you piss around and expect self administration it never is going to happen.

Funding for all of this can be done through sale of seized vehicles which should at least in first 6 months be a sizeable windfall

Armed police will need to escort the black taxi hunt teams as some of the less desirable taxi drivers might get a little boisterous once they realise there car is being seized. However this is good as you clear out both a black taxi and a driver who shouldn't be dealing with the public.

Lastly increase taxi fares by 15% and link to gas price index so good drivers can earn a decent living

Holy crap Monty.....Great insight man! This would be amazing if they could do it this way. I being "the American" that my Euro friends accuse me of, I'd add roadside stockades to the punishment for assault or robbery! Or they could add Caning like in Singapore. That alone would straighten these bravo punks out real quick.

[Paangjang]

You keep trying.. it aint getting any better

Here is the recipe you need

1) Grow a spine

2) Appoint a team of black taxi hunters.. any black taxi's found confiscate the car

3) Legit registred taxi not using meter or refuse to go to destination 10,000 baht fine on the spot or see 2)

4) Legit registered taxiNot dressed in blue shirt 5000 Baht on the spot or see 2)

5) Hire a farang supervisor of each team... farang is paid on a percentage of fines collected and officially handed in... less chance of wholesale corruption.

6) In line with 2015 ASEAN developments every registered taxi drive must be enrolled or have completed English course.. failure to do so see 4)

7) All taxi drivers registered are to have criminal background checks ......non registered see 2)....

Just get tough with these folks.... while you piss around and expect self administration it never is going to happen.

Funding for all of this can be done through sale of seized vehicles which should at least in first 6 months be a sizeable windfall

Armed police will need to escort the black taxi hunt teams as some of the less desirable taxi drivers might get a little boisterous once they realise there car is being seized. However this is good as you clear out both a black taxi and a driver who shouldn't be dealing with the public.

Lastly increase taxi fares by 15% and link to gas price index so good drivers can earn a decent living

Sounds like some info you got from a more developed less corrupt country...

[steveyinasia]

It all comes down to applying the law, that simply won't happen.

[Rorri]

Perhaps they should go & try to park on one of the public spaces! I KNOW that one spot in Patong is rented from the police

If you can prove this, then send a "friend" request to Facebook.. "Phuket Watch Corruption-Island" then when added you can post photos/text and video.

[jocko]

l.PLDT officer Jaturong Kaewkasi said during the meeting, “The purpose of setting up official taxi stands is to make it easier to control them. At the moment, there is no law to control and enforce the regulations of the taxi ranks. We will use this method to control the number of taxis – it is better than letting them organise it themselv.

Try again and again

[monty1412]

Roadside stockades... that bought a smile to my face.... the imagery of it gets to me... but thinking about it it may not work.... allot of the drivers sleep in their car and its their actual abode... giving then the possibility of having a place with roof over head and presumably sanitation well you jjst might start an avalanche of drivers stopping in and admitting they didnt use meter or dont have blue shirt.... place could be crowded within days..

You keep trying.. it aint getting any better

Here is the recipe you need

1) Grow a spine

2) Appoint a team of black taxi hunters.. any black taxi's found confiscate the car

3) Legit registred taxi not using meter or refuse to go to destination 10,000 baht fine on the spot or see 2)

4) Legit registered taxiNot dressed in blue shirt 5000 Baht on the spot or see 2)

5) Hire a farang supervisor of each team... farang is paid on a percentage of fines collected and officially handed in... less chance of wholesale corruption.

6) In line with 2015 ASEAN developments every registered taxi drive must be enrolled or have completed English course.. failure to do so see 4)

7) All taxi drivers registered are to have criminal background checks ......non registered see 2)....

Just get tough with these folks.... while you piss around and expect self administration it never is going to happen.

Funding for all of this can be done through sale of seized vehicles which should at least in first 6 months be a sizeable windfall

Armed police will need to escort the black taxi hunt teams as some of the less desirable taxi drivers might get a little boisterous once they realise there car is being seized. However this is good as you clear out both a black taxi and a driver who shouldn't be dealing with the public.

Lastly increase taxi fares by 15% and link to gas price index so good drivers can earn a decent living

Holy crap Monty.....Great insight man! This would be amazing if they could do it this way. I being "the American" that my Euro friends accuse me of, I'd add roadside stockades to the punishment for assault or robbery! Or they could add Caning like in Singapore. That alone would straighten these bravo punks out real quick.

[Langsuan Man]

Herding cats would be easier