Uber driver urges govt to legalise car app taxi services

By The Nation

 

 

Thai authorities should allow phone app taxi services such as Uber and Grab to operate legally like they do in other countries because the people doing the job were decent, hard-working people and not criminals, a Bangkok-based Uber car driver on Tuesday.

 

Bangkok-based company employee Khomsan Saeheng, 34, said had been providing Uber and Grab car services as a way of earning extra income after work and during weekends or holidays for six months now. 

 

“I like the fact that it is an independent sideline that yields up to Bt6,000 a week, which is almost as much as what I earn from my full-time job. I can do it anytime, just being online via my smartphone app. Some people, if more diligent, can even earn much more,” he said. 

 

Full Story: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/breakingnews/30308196

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-3-7

They're worse than criminals, they are competitors.

That is what hey say in every country the invade.

 

(Interest Disclosure; I am a taxi driver)

LOL The criminals are the existing taxi mafia

There are at least 3 different taxi hailing systems working in Thailand (Bangkok) right now.

There is Uber, Grab Taxi, and one called Grab Car.

I have used all 3 of them.

Grab Taxi is my favorite as they respond faster and are more directly involved with the actual taxi drivers.

Uber is the least directly connected with real working drivers and is a owner directed system that pays actual drivers less.

Grab Car is less organized and runs on independent drivers who use their private cars to offer rides.

 

On the verge of going under!

Glad I own my car, I don't trust anyone behind the wheel in this country unless it's me or one of my kids.

15 hours ago, zaphod reborn said:

They're worse than criminals, they are competitors.

Competitors are those offering the same service based on the same rules and regulations.

As such, Über & Grab are NOT competitors but an unregulated service.

I agree, the normal taxi business needs a cleanup, urgently.

 

I live in Khon Kaen, when I need a taxi I just call the taxi service, the taxi arrives, and there I go, on the meter.

 

Think this must be possible anywhere where taxis, the real thing, are operating?

 

Just now, hansnl said:

Competitors are those offering the same service based on the same rules and regulations.

As such, Über & Grab are NOT competitors but an unregulated service.

I agree, the normal taxi business needs a cleanup, urgently.

 

I live in Khon Kaen, when I need a taxi I just call the taxi service, the taxi arrives, and there I go, on the meter.

 

Think this must be possible anywhere where taxis, the real thing, are operating?

 

They can't follow the same rules and regulations, because they can't get properly licensed.  Catch-22.  TIT.

Uber is Great! I use in BKK and USA. Much better than Taxi .

19 minutes ago, zaphod reborn said:

They can't follow the same rules and regulations, because they can't get properly licensed.  Catch-22.  TIT.

Are you under the delusion that they WANT to be forced to obey taxi rules and regulations?

2 hours ago, halloween said:

Are you under the delusion that they WANT to be forced to obey taxi rules and regulations?

Oh, I forgot.  The currently licensed taxi mafia accept all passenger rides and always uses their meter.  Moreover, they are always courteous, never sexually harass their passengers, and would never masturbate while driving their regulated taxis.  I call b.s. on you.

21 hours ago, Chang_paarp said:

That is what hey say in every country the invade.

 

(Interest Disclosure; I am a taxi driver)

Yes your right and in years to come robotics and AI will invade us. Its this new great world where everybody is put out of work. Wonder where the money will come from to buy all these wonderful gadgets made by machines. Somebody said a tax on machines to provide fishing poles for the rest of us. As the fish are disappearing at an alarming rate that to could prove to not be fruitful. 

Edited March 8, 20179 yr by elgordo38

22 hours ago, zaphod reborn said:

They're worse than criminals, they are competitors.

Worse than that, they're uninsured competitors.

4 hours ago, zaphod reborn said:

Oh, I forgot.  The currently licensed taxi mafia accept all passenger rides and always uses their meter.  Moreover, they are always courteous, never sexually harass their passengers, and would never masturbate while driving their regulated taxis.  I call b.s. on you.

I think you forgot brandishing a weapon and assaulting passengers in your list.

16 hours ago, zaphod reborn said:

Oh, I forgot.  The currently licensed taxi mafia accept all passenger rides and always uses their meter.  Moreover, they are always courteous, never sexually harass their passengers, and would never masturbate while driving their regulated taxis.  I call b.s. on you.

Sorry for pointing out your hypocrisy. While the Thai taxi industry is far from ideal, there are regulations that have to be followed. Maintaining those regulations while allowing others to circumvent them is not the way forward.

BTW try looking at the websites about problems with uber driers. Plenty of sexual assaults and rapes reported.

17 hours ago, zaphod reborn said:

Oh, I forgot.  The currently licensed taxi mafia accept all passenger rides and always uses their meter.  Moreover, they are always courteous, never sexually harass their passengers, and would never masturbate while driving their regulated taxis.  I call b.s. on you.

Actually the vast majority of taxi drivers in Bangkok do just that, they use the meter and don't reject rides. A small precentage of drivers refuse rides and an even smaller precentage refuse to use the meter.

 

The point is valid, apparently Uber is unwilling to properly register their drivers.  I support the measures being taken against them. Competition is great, as long as rules apply to all of them, otherwise one gains an unfair advantage.

Edited March 8, 20179 yr by sjaak327