Phuket tourist van drivers win reprieve against arrests

[stevenl]

Ah, ok, so you think that the police, by doing their job and fining violators, were helping the taxi/tuktuk cartels.

The news is the drivers get a reprieve, but you think the title should be about the police issuing fines for this violation, even though that is exactly what this news is not about.

Sorry, your post sounds just like the usual drivel against tuktuk/taxi drivers, and in this case totally baseless.

...and yours like the usual naive drivel in support of their intimidation & thuggish business practice. Totally mindless. Why should the fact that they have the police in their pocket change anything? If the tourist van drivers license applications had been approved in a reasonably timely manner, there'd have never BEEN any arrests in the 1st place, and no NEED for a reprieve! What a coincidence, eh? When "the law" turns to playing favorites, it begins to lose credibility, which in the case of Phuket, is a fairly mature process...

You obviously know nothing of this process, thanks for the confirmation.

I am in no way supporting the taxi/tuktuk cartels, but in the same token I am also pointing out that they have nothing, absolutely nothing, to do with this. There have not been any arrests by the way, you just made that up.

But yes, the van drivers were working illegally, and as many have pointed out they should be fined for that. Even stronger, many here are saying the punishments handed out are too low because they are transporting tourists illegally.

I am saying here that I'm glad they got a reprieve, because things like that at least put a bit of pressure on the taxi/tuktuk cartels. And now you're saying I am defending the tuktuk cartels here?

[steelepulse]

Aren't many of the taxi drivers that park in the tuk tuk ranks also illegal ( black plate taxis with no proper insurance), yet they are not getting preyed upon by the police. I wonder if that's to do with the "association fees" these illegal taxi drivers pay? Sure there is the occasional fine of the airport guys by the DSI, but not the same thing as the bibs nicking van drivers.

Personally I think all illegal drivers should have their cars/vans/tuktuks/boats/jetskis confiscated when caught until such time as they are legal.

[stevenl]

Aren't many of the taxi drivers that park in the tuk tuk ranks also illegal ( black plate taxis with no proper insurance), yet they are not getting preyed upon by the police. I wonder if that's to do with the "association fees" these illegal taxi drivers pay? Sure there is the occasional fine of the airport guys by the DSI, but not the same thing as the bibs nicking van drivers.

Personally I think all illegal drivers should have their cars/vans/tuktuks/boats/jetskis confiscated when caught until such time as they are legal.

When caught with tourists they all get fined. It is of course easier to do with illegal vans, which are very visible as transport tourists without the proper paperwork.