Phuket taxi drivers get their way, no reduction in fares

[snoop1130]

Phuket taxi drivers get their way, no reduction in fares

The Phuket News

 

Director of the Phuket Land Transportation Office Sommai Sutkhao. Photo: Tanyaluk Sakoot

 

PHUKET:-- Officials from the Phuket Land Transportation Office (PLTO) have bowed down to the demands of local taxi drivers and agreed not to reduce taxi fares on the island. The Phuket News learned of the decision from the Director of the PLTO today (Aug 25).

 

PLTO director Sommai Sutkhao told The Phuket News, “I had a meeting with relevant officials and representatives from local transport associations to discuss reducing taxi fares last month. However, the idea was dismissed by them immediately.

 

“The reason they gave for not wanting to reduce the fares was because they use a queuing system in the areas in which they work. They said if the prices were reduced this system would not work,” he said.

 

Mr Sommmai explained that he understands that the cost of living in Phuket is too high, however, he said that if fares were reduced it would affect many people’s livelihoods.

 

Full Story: http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-taxis-drivers-get-their-way-no-reduction-in-fares-58837.php#yrpgoLRjTvWMb435.97

 

-- © Copyright Phuket News 2016-08-25

[LivinginKata]

No surprise there .... taxi mafia rules

[Reigntax]

Yes, especially the livelyhoods of those receiving commissions or having vested interests in allowing this blatant overcharging to continue.

[LivinginKata]

"they use a queuing system in the areas in which they work. They said if the prices were reduced this system would not work"

 

They just insist in keeping their local area cartel system where drivers from another area cannot pick up, therefore all taxi make a one way paid journey and the pax also pays an inflated price for the driver's journey back.

Edited August 25, 2016 by LivinginKata

[fiddlehead]

A tourist told me she uses the app "Grab" for taxis in Phuket. 
I think it is for the company Grab Taxi. 
Said it's legal and approved by the govt. 

Does anyone know about this , or use it? 

Said it's much cheaper than the taxis or tuk tuks. 

[Shot]

SURPRISE, SURPRISE.

[Deli]

And my way is never ever using them.

 

[steelepulse]

Too much money in this for everyone to ever want to change the system, as long as they get paid.  Who cares about the tourists and all of the businesses that now won't have customers as tourists decide to take their holidays elsewhere. 

 

The island doesn't need the queue system, it needs a regulatory body to control these groups of thugs that call themselves an "assocation".  The island has seen enough of the "associations" which is a nice word for collusion, extortion and thuggery.

 

 

[madmitch]

Look at the positive side: they haven't increased the prices.................yet!

[Shot]

Queue NamKangMan

[kg1947]

just avoid them , stay in a hotel - near the places you want

to hang out or visit , then move on using Free Shuttle from

each hotel .... 

[Emster23]

Too much hassle making change for 1000 baht bills?

[Mansell]

Why don't they use their meters like Bangkok. I have used taxis there and they are cheaper than Tuk Tuks. Here they can pretty much charge what they want these days. At least at the airport they have fixed fares to destinations, though I have seen them trying to wangle their way around that. Tourists fly in and pay a fixed fare in the airport. When they get outside if many flights have come in together there is a wait for taxis. So they try to bundle everybody into a mini van, which of course is much cheaper. When I walked over and told the tourists they were being ripped off, suddenly they found a taxi for me. In Bangkok they will try to not use the meter which of course is illegal, and then want to overcharge you. Easy for me to understand, but tourists get taken.......which puts a bad taste in your mouth when you realize you have been taken. One guy wanted a hundred baht to turn on the air conditioning. People get angry enough and complain and then things change, and the stupid taxi drivers wonder why they make less money.

[lvr181]

Land Transport Office should have made an agreement - no reduction but meters must be used and no charging for "extras".

 

And if anyone is breaking the law/agreement then the cartel (AKA association) are all punished as a result. Maybe this would lead to self regulation among all cartel members?

 

How about it TAT? You want to get in behind this with good outcomes that deliver good news for tourists or not?

[LivinginKata]

1 hour ago, Mansell said:

Why don't they use their meters like Bangkok. I have used taxis there and they are cheaper than Tuk Tuks. Here they can pretty much charge what they want these days. <snip>

 

Why ... because they pay for the support of those in charge. Indeed those in charge mostly own or control the taxi mafia. I cannot see any change ... ever

[timewilltell]

Just impotent against the mafia. Ridiculous.

[steelepulse]

Plata or plumo......Silver or lead?

 

There was a report a few years back about officials being told that  'they know where they live and where their children go to school".  Until the corruption, intimidation and payoffs are ended one way or another, there is no hope for public transportation here.

[sedge]

15 hours ago, fiddlehead said:

A tourist told me she uses the app "Grab" for taxis in Phuket. 
I think it is for the company Grab Taxi. 
Said it's legal and approved by the govt. 

Does anyone know about this , or use it? 

Said it's much cheaper than the taxis or tuk tuks. 

I use Grab when in Patong - punctual, cheap and VERY polite drivers ..... recommended.

[FforestFach]

16 hours ago, fiddlehead said:

A tourist told me she uses the app "Grab" for taxis in Phuket. 
I think it is for the company Grab Taxi. 
Said it's legal and approved by the govt. 

Does anyone know about this , or use it? 

Said it's much cheaper than the taxis or tuk tuks. 

A friend in Patong uses Grab a lot, mostly along the west coast and down to Rawai, says it works well and much cheaper but best to "hail" a Grab a short distance away from any traditional taxi hangouts so as not to antagonise the traditional taxi guys when you're collected/dropped off.

[klauskunkel]

16 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Officials from the Phuket Land Transportation Office (PLTO) have bowed down to the demands of local taxi drivers

Yes, bow down to your masters and while you're at it, bend over backwards, just to complete the exercise.

[Jimi007]

Obviously none of us that have lived in Phuket for many years are surprised... Same as it every was, unfortunately. 

 

[eisfeld]

"Do you want to reduce your income?"

"No!"

"Oh, ok."

 

Surprise surprise

 

Best part is this: "If we reduce the fares, the queuing system wouldn't work!" Erm... what?

[metisdead]

A troll post has been removed as well as an inflammatory reply. 

[DrDave]

On 8/26/2016 at 10:07 AM, lvr181 said:

Land Transport Office should have made an agreement - no reduction but meters must be used and no charging for "extras".

 

And if anyone is breaking the law/agreement then the cartel (AKA association) are all punished as a result. Maybe this would lead to self regulation among all cartel members?

 

How about it TAT? You want to get in behind this with good outcomes that deliver good news for tourists or not?

Using the meters in Phuket is really of no use.  The taxi mafia has been permitted to program their meters to result in exorbitant fares.  For example, using the meter in a taxi from the airport to Patong will result in nearly the same 700-800 baht flat rate charged by the non-meter taxis.

There's no chance for consumers to receive a fair shake in a market controlled by a criminal element.   

[dageurreotype]

Again, everyone's assuming the lack of an affordable taxi/public transport system affects tourists only. Just this week I've heard four Thais complain about the insane increase in traffic here due to their being scant alternatives to get around, another hoping the light rail comes to fruition as the thousand baht to the airport is half the actual 'plane fare, and yet another telling me they must rise at 4 am to take the local chicken bus (what an embarrassment they are) into town and then take a motosai to the recently sited far flung bus station to take yet another bus to the airport to get to a hospital in Bangkok. 

 

Implement a modern local bus system same as 'sister' Penang and watch road fatalities plummet.