Phuket illegal taxis given New Year deadline

[webfact]

Phuket illegal taxis given New Year deadline
Phuket Gazette


Vice Governor Chamroen gave illegal taxi drivers one week to register to become legal, and a New Year's deadline to comply. Photo: Gazette file

PHUKET: -- Fed up with the delay in illegal taxi drivers complying with the law, Phuket officials have established a December 31 deadline for taxi drivers to become legal.

Phuket officials have long been flexible in trying to accommodate local taxi drivers’ concerns, Vice Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada told a provincial transportation committee meeting on Tuesday.

“In the past, we kept extending the deadline. I will not be flexible with them anymore,” he said.

V/Gov Chamroen gave illegal taxi drivers until November 22 to apply to become legal.

“Those who do apply will be issued a document granting the drivers amnesty until December 31. But after December 31, we will not allow illegal taxis to operate in Phuket,” he said.

“From January 1, anyone found working illegally as a taxi driver will be fined 20,000 baht for each infringement,” V/Gov Chamroen warned.

At the meeting, Phuket Land Transportation Office (PLTO) Chief Terayout Prasertphol reported that of the 1,258 taxi drivers who had applied to become legal, about 70 per cent claimed they did not have the money to meet the legal requirements.

“They claim they can’t afford to take out loans on new cars [in order to comply with the law] and they say they cannot afford to pay the 50,000 baht needed to register each car as a commercial passenger vehicle,” Mr Terayout explained.

V/Gov Chamroen noted that many of the drivers had already made down payments on new cars, proving they had access to finance, and that many drivers had more than one taxi.

“They have more than 100,000 baht to make sure they have a new car, but they say they cannot afford only 50,000 baht to become legal. Does that make sense?” he asked.

“If they claim they have no money to pay for loans, it’s none of my business,” he said.

The New Year deadline against illegal taxis is the latest maneuver in the government’s snowballing campaign against public transport mafia in Phuket.

Patong Police Superintendent Chiraphat Pochanaphan on Tuesday was ordered to clear tuk-tuks from dominating all the beach road parking spaces by December 31 – or face being transferred.

That move followed illegal van drivers in Phuket being handed down a December 31 deadline late last month.

Source: http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket_news/2013/Phuket-illegal-taxis-given-New-Year-deadline-22783.html


-- Phuket Gazette 2013-11-14

[eezergood]

Yeah right! Who the .... will enforce this?

Edited November 14, 2013 by LivinginKata
profanity removed

[tingtongfarang]

Yeah right! Who the.... will enforce this?

But they really really really mean it this time

[eezergood]

Yeah right! Who the .... will enforce this?

But they really really really mean it this time

ah ok then, no worries........!

[LivinginKata]

Blah Blah Blah

[steelepulse]

Funny, a google search turns up deadlines in 2012 and Feb 2013 for this, not too mention all the other years past that don't turn up, yet we all know we've read this same propaganda year in and year out.

[Lupatria]

So up to the deadline they are just a little bit (inactive) illegal?

Edited November 15, 2013 by Lupatria

[upena]

Extending the deadline is easier than arresting law breakers

[chuenyongman]

Which new Year?

[Loptr]

Or I'll huff, and puff and blow your house down.

[deecee10]

Patong Police Superintendent Chiraphat Pochanaphan on Tuesday was ordered to clear tuk-tuks from dominating all the beach road parking spaces by December 31 – or face being transferred.

Interesting ultimatum. I guess it's a matter of watch this space (if you can find one).

[pomchop]

The problem is really not the ILLEGAL taxis but the LEGAL ONES...you know them..the ones that charge TEN TIMES as much as a BKK taxi and MORE than a NYC taxi...them and their brother tuk tuk drivers who charge outrageous fares to go a few kms in the back of a crappy little no a/c toy truck , block public parking and act like they OWN the island of Phuket. ....

It's the LEGAL ones that seem to have the worst reputation of rip offs and intimidating people who DARE to challenge their THUG LIKE PRICES AND PRACTICES...

How about you fix the LEGAL extortion problem first then worry about ones without a permit to extort.

[JulesMad]

Bla bla bla.... Which New Year? Legal taxis are the ones owned by the mafia, illegal ones not owned by the mafia (yet!)

[eezergood]

I guarentee this deadline will be moved, again....

What new year? so sorry sir I mean Thai new year.......

[LivinginKata]

I guarentee this deadline will be moved, again....

And again, and again .....