30 Taxi Drivers in Phuket Protest Eviction Order

[Jacob Maslow]

Around 30 taxi drivers went to Provincial Hall today to ask for help from the government. The taxi drivers are facing an eviction order that will see more than 50 taxi drivers forced out of Rassada’s main bus terminal.

The group is asking Phuket’s governor, Nisit Jansomwong, for help.

A formal complaint has been submitted by the group. The eviction notice was presented to the drivers this past Friday. In the notice, the Rassada Municipality states that “Taxis are not allowed to operate at the bus station any longer.” The bus terminal, once operated by Phuket Land Transport Office, was taken over by the municipality on March 11.

Drivers will have until April 10^th to vacate the terminal. Many drivers state that they will not be able to support their families if the eviction order is allowed.

Nisit has announced that he will raise the issue at tomorrow’s meeting to seek a speedy resolution. Both the Rassada Municipality and the Phuket Land Transport Office will be called to deal with the situation.

Drivers state that it was at the order of Phuket Land Transport Office that the group started working at the terminal in Rassada. The group used to work in Phuket Town before being asked to transfer from the Rassada station where they now face eviction.

-- 2015-04-07

[Shurup]

Oh... Poor buggers are being bullied by municipality? Sounds like karma is getting back to them.

[Sviss Geez]

Those taxi drivers pictured took a huge gamble assembling to protest when not one of them displayed a registration number.

Unless those taxis weren't involved in the protest, of course, but in that case why show a photo of unrelated, probably Bangkok, taxis? Could it be to help those of us who don't know what a taxi looks like so that we can understand the story better? Thanks, Maslow, much appreciated.

[Gunna]

Do you think that the taxis with the blanked out number plates has been used so we can't see that they are registered in Bangkok.

Would make the writer look like a novice journalist, again.