PM: Public must "understand" taxi drivers who refuse fares

[hansnl]

2 hours ago, sanemax said:

I disagree , when asking Uber, you are asking all the Ubers who are on duty and they are usually eager for your custom 

   Having the Uber system stops Taxis driving around all day, mostly empty , looking for custom , causing traffic congestion and pollution .

   Uber is the way forward

Why not use taxi stands where people can get a taxi?

Why not a telephone system to order a taxi (like in Khon Kaen)?

Taxis driving around and around is not very handy, is it?

[daveAustin]

The 'PM' has no clue or handle on this issue because he - being of the elitist type - will never be one of the people and thus in a position to have to use such a shower of shiite 'service'. Folk above trying to justify the whims of the typical grabbing taxi driver are on par with the mindset of the yabbering general.

Edited April 5, 2017 by daveAustin

[Ratcher]

I tried to flag down a cab 2 nights ago from On Nut near to big C to Sukhumvit soi 2 time 10 pm. Four cabs stopped and refused. The fifth accepted

[Jonmarleesco]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

 

'You have to distinguish one situation from another ...' Perhaps the PM would care to enlighten us on his criteria for doing that. Possibly by trying it out for himself.

 

'... PM cited a situation to expound his point where article 44 might be used to compel passengers in the cab to cross their left leg over their right and not vise versa.' Sorry, this one has lost me in translation.

[Jonmarleesco]

18 minutes ago, bobmac10 said:

Is there any subject too unimportant, any issue too insignificant that our fearless leader cannot give us the benefit of his wisdom?

Well, if there is, Prawit can be relied on to step in.

[sanemax]

17 minutes ago, TheFishman1 said:

When was the last time PM had to take a taxi answer Never TIT

He went to use a Taxi last week , but it drove straight past him and he couldnt get in

[Chris Lawrence]

3 hours ago, djjamie said:

Go Uber. Market forces might make taxi drivers rethink they attitude. 

Or make the market unregulated or the drivers poorer?

[WhizBang]

Absolutely nothing to 'understand' Mr. PM.   Any taxi that wants to be selective should turn off their light and NOT stop.  Period.

 

All Prayut is doing is backtracking on yet another 'reform'.  Useless git.
 

[ddavidovsky]

3 hours ago, ThaiCitizen said:

He's usually on his way home from a 12 hour shift and looking for a quick fare. If it's in the opposite direction he doesn't want it. Chris, it ain't rocket science. Quite right PM.

 

I was refused the other day by a driver who was fine with my destination, just didn't want to take me the way I wanted to go, which was the shortest route. I got out after a hundred metres and took a bus - the road was fine.

 

The situation is getting out of hand and now Prayuth has undermined all efforts to regulate this. An incredible blunder.

[Misab]

3 hours ago, ThaiCitizen said:

He's usually on his way home from a 12 hour shift and looking for a quick fare. If it's in the opposite direction he doesn't want it. Chris, it ain't rocket science. Quite right PM.

 

I have stopped more than 10 taxis within 15 minutes (and they all drove in the direction I want to go,) but all refused to take me because - they said - there too much traffic in that area you want to go. So after many attempt, I offered to double the fare then there was no problem, of course.

[bkkgriz]

But Dear Leader, I do understand these drivers. I understand they are a$$holes.

[DLock]

Either slam the door really hard...or leave it wide open...they hate that.

 

Well done Prayut...you have just undone years of trying to get taxis drivers to do the right thing.

[PeVee1st]

If you are a taxi driver with the vacancy lite on, THEN YOU MUST ACCEPT THE FARE.
SIMPLE ENOUGH!!!!!!

[catinthehat]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

They quoted him as saying that drivers might not want to take the fare, or might want to but were unable to for some reason. You have to distinguish one situation from another, they reported him as saying.

If any taxi has his "available" light on then he should not have any excuse to refuse a fair. If he ending his shift or going for fuel then off with the light.

Just more excuses to allow for lack of responsibility or accountability. Mr P, grow some stones. Make believe that by refusing fares the taxis are opposing the government.

[Xaos]

Just back from Singapore. Been using Grab app, smooth service a d surprisingly not expensive.

When I was refused in bkk they said too far or traffic.

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

[Sydebolle]

Uber or Grab is the answer; will break Somchai's back - hopefully for good! Pathetic, the whole discussion 

[dcnx]

5 hours ago, jonclark said:

Well if the driver is going home, then he should just go home and not stop. That ain't rocket science either.

But it IS rocket science to these dolts.

[Misterwhisper]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha has asked the public to understand taxi drivers who refuse fares.

...said the man who is driven around in a private limousine wherever he goes preceded by police vehicles that make sure that all roads are free for him to get through unhindered.

 

Maybe he should try public taxis for once to find how much "understanding" he's going to muster after he's been refused three or four times in a row. 

Edited April 5, 2017 by Misterwhisper
rewrite

[Happyman58]

my god i just heard rubbish Like telling a doctor dont operate if you dont want to They are taxi drivers its there bloody job Do they understand that MR PM

[Rgreen88]

And taxi drivers must understand why so many people think that so many of them are a-holes.

[malibukid]

Uber time

[Baerboxer]

Voice TV - that well known source of reliable, unbiased, never fake news. Owned by, er, you know!

 

So expect a govt. spokesperson will give a different version tomorrow and VTV will get yet another ban for making it up as they go along.

[jacko45k]

15 hours ago, ThaiCitizen said:

He's usually on his way home from a 12 hour shift and looking for a quick fare. If it's in the opposite direction he doesn't want it. Chris, it ain't rocket science. Quite right PM.

Available is available. The requirement of a taxi is that it is available to go where the customer requires. If he is specific about route and direction he should drive a bus.

[anon4546543]

Taxi drivers around the world have the right to refuse obnoxious, pis2ed and angry potential passengers. If one did not stop for you he may have had a prior booking or you deserved to be overlooked

[wandasloan]

15 hours ago, MrJohnson said:

Vote with your feet if you don't like it. I've been using Grab and Uber for some time now and haven't had a problem. Nice clean cars, courteous drivers who know you are going to rate them.  Well worth the extra cost.

 

I'm a fan of Uber and Grab and the gig economy. A big fan. Having said that, there's something you should consider here: The Uber driver is picking you up because you are going the direction he wants to go at the time he wants to go. Otherwise he ignores your call and refuses to pick you up - just like Somchai Taxidriver, except that Somchai does it to your face.

 

Taxis and Uber are different in some ways but identical in others, such as the driver deciding if he wants your business. The Uber people can ignore or reject you anonymously; you don't even know if they've done it.

 

The taxis here can be and should be organised better. The single-message red light in the window corner for example, can't be turned off, I believe, except by starting the meter. The Singapore and New York City systems of having "off duty" signs is worth adopting. But throwing everything on the taxis while praising Uber is not exactly correct.

 

[ricklev]

15 minutes ago, wandasloan said:

I'm a fan of Uber and Grab and the gig economy. A big fan. Having said that, there's something you should consider here: The Uber driver is picking you up because you are going the direction he wants to go at the time he wants to go. Otherwise he ignores your call and refuses to pick you up - just like Somchai Taxidriver, except that Somchai does it to your face.

 

Taxis and Uber are different in some ways but identical in others, such as the driver deciding if he wants your business. The Uber people can ignore or reject you anonymously; you don't even know if they've done it.

 

The taxis here can be and should be organised better. The single-message red light in the window corner for example, can't be turned off, I believe, except by starting the meter. The Singapore and New York City systems of having "off duty" signs is worth adopting. But throwing everything on the taxis while praising Uber is not exactly correct.

 

That's not how it works.  The Uber drivers don't know your destination until they pick you up.  

[steven100]

Just stop supporting BKK cabs ......   wait for an All Thai taxi cab or UBER and stop one of those ...

vote with your wallet     !!!   

[MrJohnson]

5 hours ago, wandasloan said:

I'm a fan of Uber and Grab and the gig economy. A big fan. Having said that, there's something you should consider here: The Uber driver is picking you up because you are going the direction he wants to go at the time he wants to go. Otherwise he ignores your call and refuses to pick you up - just like Somchai Taxidriver, except that Somchai does it to your face.

 

Taxis and Uber are different in some ways but identical in others, such as the driver deciding if he wants your business. The Uber people can ignore or reject you anonymously; you don't even know if they've done it.

 

The taxis here can be and should be organised better. The single-message red light in the window corner for example, can't be turned off, I believe, except by starting the meter. The Singapore and New York City systems of having "off duty" signs is worth adopting. But throwing everything on the taxis while praising Uber is not exactly correct.

 

Points well made. I am aware of the process of Uber and Grab in terms of them ignoring a fare they do not want to take, for whatever reason. However, that is different to standing on a street corner going through the motions with 5 or 6 taxis. I have had this experiencem any times. Give me the Uber/Grab option any time. In general I have also found Uber and Grab to be cleaner, safer and more courteous. Granted, I have had many decent, clean and courteous taxi drivers but I must also say that over the last 4 or 5 years I've had a lot of bad experiences. To be honest, I don't really blame the drivers. They are the working poor. Rents for taxis are high and many drivers are driving taxis to make money in between rice farming activities,  they are far away from home and family and are earning a pittance. The taxi industry is skewed in favour of the big guys at the expense of the drivers. Likewise, this driving around and around looking for a customer is ludicrous. It exacerbates the existing traffic gridlock and is extremely inefficient. There are many improvements that could be made to the system but they are unlikely to be made by the government.

[hawker9000]

23 hours ago, ThaiCitizen said:

He's usually on his way home from a 12 hour shift and looking for a quick fare. If it's in the opposite direction he doesn't want it. Chris, it ain't rocket science. Quite right PM.

Oh I see.  So passengers are there to serve the needs of the taxi driver.  And here all this time most of us thought it was the other way around.  I guess it was the direction in which the money passes that had us all fooled.  Thank goodness a rocket scientist came along to straighten out the matter for all of us.

[FruitPudding]

On Wednesday, April 05, 2017 at 1:25 PM, jonclark said:

Sorry Mr. PM - But if the driver doesn't want the fare then the driver shouldn't stop. That simple. 

 

You should be supporting the people, not the drivers!!

Come on!

 

I don't see why a taxi driver should have to go ANYWHERE they want.

 

What about if they want to go out of town?

 

What about if they want to go to an area not so far away, but it will take 2 hours due to traffic jams?

 

What if he was planning on going home in an hour?

 

What if it's a dangerous area?

 

What if he had already arranged to collect another passenger at a particular place at a particular time and wanted to remain in a reasonable distance?

 

These are all valid reasons. Why should he be a slave and bound to go wherever they please just cos he stopped to pick them up?

 

We have choices in our jobs too, you know. 

 

We all have the right to refuse a potential customer, nomatter our line of work.

 

We all have the right no say, "No". It is a basic human right, in my opinion.

 

Edited April 7, 2017 by FruitPudding