The two sides of Bangkok's motorbike taxis

[webfact]

The two sides of Bangkok's motorbike taxis

SHAYAN NAVEED



BANGKOK: -- For many of us, Bangkok’s motorbike taxis are lifesavers when we need to beat the traffic and get to places quickly.

They zigzag their way through and take undiscovered routes to our destination. We love them for it and we surely respect what they do.

But there’s a darker side to these guys and their life that most of us don’t know about.

The situation

In one corner, you have the little guys trying to make it.

The loyal, hard working men and women who legally register with their hard earned money to become fine members of the motorbike taxi community.

On the other side, there are the motorbike taxi ‘gangs’ reportedly run and protected by a mafia of influential people.

Make no mistake, these guys don’t have it easy either, dealing with continual threats and harrassment to pay bribes.

And now, you have foreign-owned Uber and Grab entering the ring with their vigilante-like bike services, angering all types of people, despite their good intentions.

All these different sides put together are a sure recipe for disaster.

A ticking time bomb.

And that is exactly what has been happening lately, as you can see by this latest altercation between some registered drivers and a Grab Bike:

Ultimately, the Department of Land Transport (DLT) have stepped in and ordered a halt on all operations of Uber Moto and Grab Bike, thanks to the ongoing conflict.

My personal view on it

At first, I was very upset when the DLT halted Uber Moto and Grab Bike as I heavily relied on them.

They provided an amazing service, especially at locations where there are no signs of the registered motorbike taxis.

According to the DLT, both were running operations illegally. Sure, that is true.

But what about the less than stellar service of some of the so-called bike gangs?

How about the time my friend almost lost his life on the back of a local motorbike taxi as he was driving recklessly, trying to avoid getting caught by the cops because he had drugs on him?

Full story: http://whatsonsukhumvit.com/the-two-sides-to-bangkoks-motorbike-taxis/


-- (c) What's on Sukhumvit 2016-06-03

[Scouse Twoccer]

A pathetic piece of tripe. Who cares about the thoughts of Shayan Naveed? Stick to travelling, sunshine, you're not a journalist.

[Monomial]

Everyone should at least be honest about what happened here.

Originally Grab Bike went and talked to the Motorcycle Taxi Association and tried to get them to support Grab Bike. The MTA didn't like the deal Grab Bike offered, and told them "Take a hike, we can do it ourselves." Grab then gets vindictive and says if that is the way you are going to play, then we'll cut you out entirely.

Finally, the MTA plays their trump card, talks to some high up friends and gets Grab Bike declared illegal, which, of course, they were. It wasn't a hard sell. This is not about technology or making it easier for the public or the taxi drivers. This is a power play and it is entirely about who controls the network.

If someone wants to report on this, then be honest and report on who the real actors are. Nobody actually cares about the drivers or the customers, and this isn't about technology, as applications such as Uber and Grab Bike are a dime a dozen these days and can be written by 12 year olds. Some actual investigative reporting into the true nature of the battle would be refreshing.

The kind of obtuse blogging in the article above is just drivel. What I wouldn't give for a return to the days of real journalism.

[Thainess]

They are not "lifesavers". They are potentially "life-enders". I wouldn't even sit down on one of those deathtraps if you paid me.

[Agent Sumo]

LOL The grumpy old farts are out in force

It's an article about motorbike taxis, not an exposé on female genital mutilation, for God's sake.

[Crossy]

A positive view.

We are in a village some 50km out of Bangkok.

Out here the bike boys provide a valuable (and fairly safe, there's little traffic) service taking commuters the 3 km or so to the main road where the buses stop. There is a (cheaper) songthaw service but (of course) it doesn't connect conveniently to the buses leaving one with a 400m walk, not far but it's hot and open and the bikes wait near the bus stop to get those going the other way.

They also provide a phone-a-bike service, will get stuff from the market or run other errands for a very modest fee.

During the flooding they were obviously out of service, until about 3 days in Wifey got a call "we're back in business", call them and you got a boat not a bike. Typically Thai, planning no way - coping wonderful.