Meeting attempts to bridge Phuket taxi mistrust

[Lite Beer]

Meeting attempts to bridge Phuket taxi mistrust

Anthika Muangrod

Teerayut Prasertpol: Taxi drivers should be allowed to pick up a passenger when they drop another one off.

PHUKET: An attempt to bridge the wide gap of distrust and dislike between taxi drivers in Kata-Karon and local hotels and resorts this afternoon came to no solid conclusion.

At a packed meeting in the Karon Municipality building, held mainly to allow both sides to air their views on the situation, some speakers urged an immediate return to something like the old system of taxi groups with exclusive territories.

Pol Col Natthapakin Kwanchaiyaphruk of Karon Police Station suggested that, “to keep things in order”, all taxi drivers should be registered as being stationed at a particular point. No more than two taxis should be allowed at any one point, and only they should be allowed to pick up passengers at that point. These points would, he suggested be a few hundred metres apart.

The police and Governor Maitri Inthusut also backed calls for hotels to allow taxi drivers to set up stands on their premises – despite the police and municipal drive to destroy all illegal taxi stands.

The hotels, however, were generally silent. A representative of Club Med complained that in the past the taxi drivers had tried to control things. When the resort allowed them to set up on its land, the leader of the taxi group had understood the agreed conditions, but the others in the group did not follow them.

Teerayut Prasertpol from the Phuket Provincial Transportation Office said that taxis should be able to pick up passengers in other parts of the island.

“For example, a taxi driver coming [to Karon] from the airport should be able to pick up another passenger to take back to the airport, so that he does not waste fuel on a journey with no passenger.”

Gov Maitri offered a number of points for consideration:

Make everything systematic, by having detailed rules, decreasing the power of “influential people”, increasing freedom for everyone else.

He also suggested conducting a survey of taxi drivers and their families to establish their income levels and whether they need government help to get jobs out of the taxi business.

Returning to the public all public land appropriated by taxis. (This has already been achieved in large measure by the wholesale demolition of taxi stands.)

Increase the quality of the island’s taxi services to international standards.

Constant and strict enforcement of the law.

Supporting taxis to convert to other way of doing business, such as becoming meter taxis.

Supporting other forms of public transport.

It is expected that more meetings will be held to try to work out compromises and find alternatives to the existing corrupt, inefficient and sometimes violent system.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/meeting-attempts-to-bridge-phuket-taxi-mistrust-46791.php

-- Phuket News 2014-06-10

[Shot]

“For example, a taxi driver coming [to Karon] from the airport should be able to pick up another passenger to take back to the airport, so that he does not waste fuel on a journey with no passenger.”

Something my 6 year old has been saying for 2 years

[LivinginKata]

Yawn Yawn - I see zero progress in that meeting.

[ChoakMyDee]

“For example, a taxi driver coming [to Karon] from the airport should be able to pick up another passenger to take back to the airport, so that he does not waste fuel on a journey with no passenger.”

Something my 6 year old has been saying for 2 years

Returning empty from an airport trip is not a problem. The fare should should reflect returning empty from every trip. It is this way in every other country in the world. Why not Thailand? When I drove a taxi in Canada I dropped passengers at the airport all the time and I wasn't permitted to pick up there because there were already a large lineup of taxis in the airport qeue. People who don't understand the taxi business are sympathetic to these scammers and whiners because they are ignorant to the taxi business. Jebus Christ, the fare you pay now to go from Patong to the airport or vice versa is more than twice what it should be. Don't listen to these greedy whiners.

[IamNoone88]

Let the local taxi mafia compete with an open market with more metered taxi's operated by Bangkok firms on Bangkok meter rates. Flag down fares, airport services and no mafia controlled areas. In a free market economy, i know who would win. Open up the market and lets have a proper service in Phuket, the same as Bangkok.

[steelepulse]

Sounds like more tea money has been paid to the cops and the Governor. Take a survey of hotels, tourists, expats, local Thais and no one would agree that what is being proposed is beneficial to anyone, except the taxi mob. Nobody wants the status quo, except those receiving huge amounts of tea.

Make everything systematic, by having detailed rules, decreasing the power of “influential people”, increasing freedom for everyone else. Merely a ruse.

He also suggested conducting a survey of taxi drivers and their families to establish their income levels and whether they need government help to get jobs out of the taxi business. What will this accomplish, no one wants to get out of these easy jobs getting paid to lay about.

Returning to the public all public land appropriated by taxis. (This has already been achieved in large measure by the wholesale demolition of taxi stands.) I still foresee these louts taking over public land once the army leaves.

Increase the quality of the island’s taxi services to international standards. Never happen.

Constant and strict enforcement of the law. Never happen.

Supporting taxis to convert to other way of doing business, such as becoming meter taxis. Won't happen, money is too easy doing nothing but extorting customers.

Supporting other forms of public transport. As long as it doesn't interfere with the lazy ass louts business and doesn't compete, it will be allowed as a concession.

Edited June 10, 2014 by steelepulse

[maccaroni man]

Resorts were not allowed to offer free shuttle service to their guest because of threats from the taxi thugs. Meter taxi is a simple solution to eliminate fare bandits. Limited number of taxies allowed in a limited space leaves street parking for self drives.

[monkeycountry]

Bangkok already has a well functioning taxi system, so why invent the wheel again? Just copy whatever they do in Bangkok.

The only reason not to do as Bangkok does, is because that system might not suit certain people who benefit from the taxi scams, such as local politicians, local police and the taxi drivers themselves of course. For this same reason, local police, local politicians and the taxi drivers should not even be in the meeting. The army should appoint a few people to check how the system works in Bangkok, and then simply tell the locals in Phuket, that they can do it that way, or no way at all - up to you.

And stop worrying about what the taxi drivers want. Noone cares what rapists, robbers and other criminals want, why care about the taxis? The only people in Phuket who supposrt the taxi drivers are the taxi drivers themselves, their families, and certain police and politicians, everyone else, which is 98% of Phuket hates them.

Btw, the reason the hotels are silent at the meeting is because they know exactly what happens if you go against the taxi mafia. Most of them have seen it first hand.

[monkeycountry]

"He also suggested conducting a survey of taxi drivers and their families to establish their income levels and whether they need government help to get jobs out of the taxi business."

May I then suggest that once you get these numbers, you check how much income tax they paid on that income. Yes, the answer to that is easy, they paid a combined zero baht. The taxi drivers never cared about anyone but themselves, yet they insist everyone should care about them.

The best thing that could happen to the citizens of Phuket, as well as the tourist industri, is if all the taxis, legal and illegal, simply vanished from one day to another!

[oldsailor35]

I can see this working (like hell) Some points will be busy and others quiet. So the price to have a taxi at a busy point will be open to "high" negotiation .

In other words, some will grow rich but others will starve. Please do not encourage yet another Taxi Scam.

[hawker9000]

Only in Phuket could something so simple be so hard... Thuggishness should be dealt with severely; not through compromise, not through negotiation, and not through "talking"... Let the negotiation & compromise begin after everyone understands that violence & mafia-style oppression are not an option and completely off the table. So far, that's not been the case, and it's a big part of why Phuket has the dismal reputation it has.

[smedly]

Yawn Yawn - I see zero progress in that meeting.

well they have had it so good ripping people off for a very long time all supported by local authorities, there is only one way to deal with this

Prayuth style - tell them and don't ask - maximum fare per km - if you don't like it then go somewhere else, I have a lot of words I could use for these thieves on here but I'd be banned for sure

[Paulzed]

Constant and strict enforcement of the law.

Funny!!

[eezergood]

The G'vner urged resorts to allow then to contiinue their illegal thugery, on their land for free - Jesus how much commission is he on? Does he have a clue ?

[steelepulse]

The G'vner urged resorts to allow then to contiinue their illegal thugery, on their land for free - Jesus how much commission is he on? Does he have a clue ?

One of the perks of being a Governor here, is the golden parachute you receive before retiring. He doesn't want to kill this golden goose.

[pomchop]

How about some simple baht buses running a few fixed routes at fixed prices like Pattaya. Add to that metered

taxis with same per km fares as Bangkok. If the Phuket thugs don't like it then let them go work in the rice

paddies.

[natway09]

Hang on, one step at a time, before we talk about meters, let's get licenced taxis only first, get rid of all the so called domestic car guys.

$600 Airport/Patong, theres your rip off.

[FritsSikkink]

“For example, a taxi driver coming [to Karon] from the airport should be able to pick up another passenger to take back to the airport, so that he does not waste fuel on a journey with no passenger.”

Something my 6 year old has been saying for 2 years

Returning empty from an airport trip is not a problem. The fare should should reflect returning empty from every trip. It is this way in every other country in the world.

No it isn't

[rjcampbe]

This isn't rocket science... it doesn't require surveys and in depth studies to resolve it. I just takes the one thing Thailand can't seem to muster, sufficient political will to seriously address the corruption.

The solution is obvious...

1) Registered Taxis and Drivers - Violators stiffly fined (repeat offenders arrested) and cars impounded.

2) Meters installed - Mandatory use, with a discrete and anonymous reporting mechanism for drivers who refuse to use the meters. Violators stiffly fined, repeat offenders lose hack license.

3) Taxi Stands permitted in designated places (hotels, etc) but drivers must take the fare that comes and use the meter...

4) Supplement this with a local bus / songteaw service

5) ENFORCEMENT, ENFORCEMENT, ENFORCEMENT

Problem solved.

Yeah... I know... It'll never happen.

[KarenBravo]

Hang on, one step at a time, before we talk about meters, let's get licenced taxis only first, get rid of all the so called domestic car guys.

$600 Airport/Patong, theres your rip off.

Too late. They were all legalized. A lot easier than enforcement.

[Absolut]

This isn't rocket science... it doesn't require surveys and in depth studies to resolve it. I just takes the one thing Thailand can't seem to muster, sufficient political will to seriously address the corruption.

The solution is obvious...

1) Registered Taxis and Drivers - Violators stiffly fined (repeat offenders arrested) and cars impounded.

2) Meters installed - Mandatory use, with a discrete and anonymous reporting mechanism for drivers who refuse to use the meters. Violators stiffly fined, repeat offenders lose hack license.

3) Taxi Stands permitted in designated places (hotels, etc) but drivers must take the fare that comes and use the meter...

4) Supplement this with a local bus / songteaw service

5) ENFORCEMENT, ENFORCEMENT, ENFORCEMENT

Problem solved.

Yeah... I know... It'll never happen.

Spot on, and because it will never happen is the reason why I will never go to Phuket nor recommend it to family or friends.

Those in charge need to take the blinkers off and realise the damage they are doing to tourism by allowing the taxi mafia to continue.

[LivinginKata]

Hang on, one step at a time, before we talk about meters, let's get licenced taxis only first, get rid of all the so called domestic car guys.

$600 Airport/Patong, theres your rip off.

Too late. They were all legalized. A lot easier than enforcement.

Only thos that registered within the time limit and met the requirements. Plenty plenty still illegal.

[stevenl]

All parking spaces on the roads in Kata, marked by yellow lines, were painted over yesterday and are gone now.

[eezergood]

Hang on, one step at a time, before we talk about meters, let's get licenced taxis only first, get rid of all the so called domestic car guys.

$600 Airport/Patong, theres your rip off.

Too late. They were all legalized. A lot easier than enforcement.

Only thos that registered within the time limit and met the requirements. Plenty plenty still illegal.

even some of those registered are still, technically illegal, no real insurance

[steelepulse]

All parking spaces on the roads in Kata, marked by yellow lines, were painted over yesterday and are gone now.

Great news, lets hope this extends to Karon along the beach where more than 50% of spots are earmarked for the local hooligans, aka tuk tuk taxi mob. This is the area by the Woraburi, Karonburi, Movenpick etc.

[jpeg]

On another note, a new phenomenon has taken over the motosai taxis since this 'crackdown'. They are now demanding a 50% increase in their fares. I'm guessing they've all had a meeting over a bottle of lao kao or several and are attempting to get as much in their wallets before any changes occur, impeding their already 10 times the price of anywhere else in Thailand fare. They've now learned '100!' in English before they'll take you anywhere. The most recent example was '150!', this up from the former 60 to 80 baht, from Chalong to Sai Yuan I can't drive owing to an injury and taxis here are inconvenient (you must call one first if outside a tourist area) and extortionately priced.

Unless the local admin/army imposes metered taxis and decent public transport on this 'well renowned international holiday destination', all this will have been a complete waste of time and yet another example of Thailand's (look we're doing something about it) propagandist shows.

Edited June 12, 2014 by jpeg

[stevenl]

All parking spaces on the roads in Kata, marked by yellow lines, were painted over yesterday and are gone now.

Great news, lets hope this extends to Karon along the beach where more than 50% of spots are earmarked for the local hooligans, aka tuk tuk taxi mob. This is the area by the Woraburi, Karonburi, Movenpick etc.

Maybe they already are, did not go out to check.

[IAMSOBAD]

Sounds like the arrests didn't work.

The Mafia IS still running things.