Taxis in Bangkok go for total revamp

[Colabamumbai]

How about forced schooling to become a Taxi driver.

[Wiggy]

19 hours ago, KittenKong said:

 

Did your wife take down the numbers of the 7 taxis and file an official complaint about each? Until this happens systematically nothing will change.

Yes, I took photos of all the taxis and complained via the DLT app. One or two drivers were pretty irate at me taking photos, but I was in a crowded area so thought it was reasonably safe to do so.

[Wiggy]

18 hours ago, bubba said:

May I suggest you install an Uber button on your phone?

 

Problem solved. 

I do have the Grab app, which I always use when leaving from home, and for the airport. Mostly I drive, but not when out and having a few beers. I had two friends visiting (hence the river cruise) and wanted to show them how broken the system is. They were in disbelief. I must admit I haven't tried Uber as the regular taxis haven't been too bad until recently, when it seems to have gone downhill very quickly. Uber button is now active.

[Wiggy]

18 hours ago, madmitch said:

Whilst I agree with all your comments I would suggest that Bangkok taxis are ridiculously underpriced and this adds to the problem as drivers can't always afford to maintain their vehicles to an acceptable standard and these new enhancements will also no doubt have to be paid for by the drivers. Taxi prices have hardly changed in the 15 years I've been in Thailand yet the cost of living has risen dramatically.

True, but my salary hasn't changed much either, but I don't go around trying to rip people off to make up for it.

[Wiggy]

16 hours ago, samsensam said:

 

tourist area you see, this type of place attracts the bad fish taxi drivers who should not be used to judge all taxi drivers in bangkok. so your complaint is valid for that place not all on bangkok. i would have walked away from the vicinity and hailed one.

 

simple tips can help; never get into taxi's that are hanging around tourist areas, walk away from the area and flag one down, avoid looking and/or acting like a tourist, be clear on where you are going and be able to pronounce it.

 

i travel in taxis a lot and very rarely have any problem, i know my way around bangkok so can correct the occasional driver taking a longer route. i my opinion taxis in bangkok are cheap, readily available and hassle free, this.

Avoid acting/looking like a tourist? So I have to change the colour of my skin? 

Edited May 8, 2017 by Wiggy

[Jonathan Swift]

23 hours ago, darksidedog said:

It needs a button in the back for the passenger to be able to turn the bloody meter on too, so they don't pay 2-3 times the normal fare.

You or someone always rides in front, make sure he turns on the meter, and watch it. read his name on his license, I always try to pronounce it out loud. If he doesn't turn on the meter, find another taxi. Simple

[Wiggy]

16 hours ago, samsensam said:

 

tourist area you see, this type of place attracts the bad fish taxi drivers who should not be used to judge all taxi drivers in bangkok. so your complaint is valid for that place not all on bangkok. i would have walked away from the vicinity and hailed one.

 

simple tips can help; never get into taxi's that are hanging around tourist areas, walk away from the area and flag one down, avoid looking and/or acting like a tourist, be clear on where you are going and be able to pronounce it.

 

i travel in taxis a lot and very rarely have any problem, i know my way around bangkok so can correct the occasional driver taking a longer route. i my opinion taxis in bangkok are cheap, readily available and hassle free, this.

"tourist area you see, this type of place attracts the bad fish taxi drivers who should not be used to judge all taxi drivers in bangkok. so your complaint is valid for that place not all on bangkok. i would have walked away from the vicinity and hailed one."

 

True, and we did and that's how we got the metered one. I agree the rotten ones are more likely to be found in tourist areas. But that still doesn't make it right, and why should I (the customer) have to accept walking along a hot, noisy street just to find a 'good' driver. Plus, I have been turned downed countless times elsewhere. I'm not judging all drivers, or all of Bangkok, as there are some very good ones with nice cars and who are polite. But (IMO) they are becoming a rarity.

 

[impulse]

Even Uber has conceded that there are some times that the fares aren't adequate, for which they have surge pricing.  My heart goes out to a taxi who's cruised (or waited) around for half an hour only to get a request for a 1km trip that's going to take another 30 minutes and net a whopping 40 baht, including the wait-o-meter.  And for the guy driving a brand new SUV crossover who's getting the exact same fare as the guy with the ragged out Altus with a bad clutch and questionable brakes.

 

Along with the equipment revamp, I think they also need to revamp the fee structure to reflect the cost of driving a newer vehicle, and the cost of operating in jam packed areas like Sukhumvit when the bars are in full swing.

 

Then they need to come down like a hammer on the guys that still refuse to follow the regulations.  Including the Uber guys.

Edited May 8, 2017 by impulse

[richard_smith237]

IF driving a taxi is so poorly paid, such that they can't maintain their cars and some posters feel sorry for them etc, why are there so many taxi's on Bangkok's roads ?.... At times, 90% of the traffic around me is taxi's... they are also screwing each other out of business.... 

 

 

[impulse]

22 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

IF driving a taxi is so poorly paid, such that they can't maintain their cars and some posters feel sorry for them etc, why are there so many taxi's on Bangkok's roads ?.... At times, 90% of the traffic around me is taxi's... they are also screwing each other out of business.... 

 

That's one of the problems.  There are too many taxis in Bangkok.  But since the Elite make money on each and every one of them, they issue way too many hack shields and the drivers are cannibalizing each others' business.

 

Not dis-similar to 7/11 who will sell you a franchise and let you cannibalize the guy who's been open right across the street for a decade.  They make money on both of you, whether either one of you is profitable.

 

The reason so many drivers go for it anyway?  Because there are so few other options.  One need only look at the (big picture) relationship between Thai ladies and old foreigners to see that dynamic in full force.  And the options are shrinking faster now that they're clamping down on street sellers and beach beds.

 

Edited May 8, 2017 by impulse

[steven100]

2 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

That's one of the problems.  There are too many taxis in Bangkok.  But since the Elite make money on each and every one of them, they issue way too many hack shields and the drivers are cannibalizing each others' business.

 

Not dis-similar to 7/11 who will sell you a franchise and let you cannibalize the guy who's been open right across the street for a decade.  They make money on both of you, whether either one of you is profitable.

not dis-similar to Woolworths or Coles in Australia selling everything from petrol to car insurance or any other multinational corporation setting up on every street corner.  It's called greed ...and unfortunately it's rampent.

[fruitman]

20 hours ago, madmitch said:

Whilst I agree with all your comments I would suggest that Bangkok taxis are ridiculously underpriced and this adds to the problem as drivers can't always afford to maintain their vehicles to an acceptable standard and these new enhancements will also no doubt have to be paid for by the drivers. Taxi prices have hardly changed in the 15 years I've been in Thailand yet the cost of living has risen dramatically.

ATT taxi also can work for the same prices and they have brand new Prius taxi's with perfect service.

[impulse]

3 minutes ago, steven100 said:

not dis-similar to Woolworths or Coles in Australia selling everything from petrol to car insurance or any other multinational corporation setting up on every street corner.  It's called greed ...and unfortunately it's rampent.

 

I like Banana IT and the others who seem to have 20+ kiosks selling against each other just in Fortune Town alone.  (Okay, 20 may be an exaggeration)   I haven't had the juevos to ask if they're franchises, or company owned stores, but it does show a strange method of doing business that permeates Asia.

 

[bubba]

41 minutes ago, impulse said:

Even Uber has conceded that there are some times that the fares aren't adequate, for which they have surge pricing.  My heart goes out to a taxi who's cruised (or waited) around for half an hour only to get a request for a 1km trip that's going to take another 30 minutes and net a whopping 40 baht, including the wait-o-meter.  And for the guy driving a brand new SUV crossover who's getting the exact same fare as the guy with the ragged out Altus with a bad clutch and questionable brakes.

 

Along with the equipment revamp, I think they also need to revamp the fee structure to reflect the cost of driving a newer vehicle, and the cost of operating in jam packed areas like Sukhumvit when the bars are in full swing.

 

Then they need to come down like a hammer on the guys that still refuse to follow the regulations.  Including the Uber guys.

But the "Uber guys" ...

 

- do not refuse rides

 

- do not refuse to use the meter and instead bargain for outrageous flat rate fares

 

- always have decent cars with working seat belts, unlike taxis such as "the ragged out Altus [sic] with a bad clutch and questionable brakes".

 

- don't get "lost" because they have GPS with your route on it, and so do you.

 

- have a feedback system where drivers are penalised for low passenger ratings and can eventually be kicked out if that rating falls below a certain point

 

- not that it matters all that much, but UberX actually works out to be cheaper than a taxi, unless you are going to the airport on their flat rate.

 

So remind me why we need to come down like a hammer on the Uber guys? To remove quality competition and protect the taxi mafia business?

[impulse]

6 minutes ago, bubba said:

But the "Uber guys" ...

 

- do not refuse rides

 

Let's just dispel #1.

 

Uber guys do decline rides.  But they do it long before they show up at your location.  They just don't respond.

 

And every taxi ever made was in perfect condition when it rolled off the line.  Let's see how the Uber cars are in a few years, and how their service looks when there's so many of them that they're cannibalizing each other's business.  

 

Why come down like a hammer on the Uber guys who don't follow the rules?  That question has its own answer built right in.

Edited May 8, 2017 by impulse

[bubba]

1 minute ago, fruitman said:

ATT taxi also can work for the same prices and they have brand new Prius taxi's with perfect service.

Agree with you there. I really like All Thai Taxi, but there just aren't enough on the road. The app doesn't work very well either. What you do get is a professional driver, good clean Prius, and they are not allowed to travel over 90 kph on the highway. Also, they already have inside CCTV. They also just started installing LCD touch screens for passengers with GPS and internet, The same screen will display the driver's photo and name and asks you to call their hotline if the person driving the car does not match.

 

And all this for the same fare as a taxi, plus a 40 baht booking fee if you use the app to book.

[bubba]

Just now, impulse said:

 

Let's just dispel #1.

 

Uber guys do decline rides.  But they do it long before they show up at your location.  They just don't respond.

 

And every taxi ever made was in perfect condition when it rolled off the line.  Let's see how the Uber cars are in a few years, and how their service looks when there's so many of them that they're cannibalizing each other's business.

Uber send out requests to a prioritised list of drivers. They have less than a minute to accept or reject when the request pops up. If they reject, it immediately passes to the next driver. Even if a driver rejects a request, the whole process takes less than a minute. Compare that to standing in the rain in front of Central World and having ten taxis refuse you over and over for ten minutes. If an Uber driver falls below an 80% acceptance, they begin to get fewer requests. Fall even lower and they get a warning from Uber. 

[Itay]

21 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

I took a taxi the other night for the first time in a while without an initial handful of refusals... 

Great, I thought, the driver was polite, switched on the meter straight away... 

 

...But no seatbelt, I felt quite vulnerable as he screamed up Rama IV road weaving through traffic... He took it easy after I asked him to...  but my thoughts... why? Just why is it so difficult for these guys to provide a simple service without any issues? Do I ask too much ?

 

What I think are reasonable expectations - which are the norm in many other countries. 

1) Seatbelts

2) Serviced vehicles

3) Safe & Professional driving

4) Uses the meter 

5) No repeated refusals

 

 

ALL of the issues with BKK taxis stem from the poor attitudes of the drivers which over time has become the norm, such that a sense of entitlement has slipped into the fray... I'd happily pay a little more for a better reliable service. 

 

 

 

Richard. when you are willing to pay $8 worth just to start the drive like in some western countries THAN the majority of your trips will be as you wish.

we are in a place without law and regulation (or at least not enforcing it) and that's a big reason why its still cheap here.

as someone said here, THE CUSTOMERS will end up paying for those improvements... so make sense to me why you wishlist will not be happening soon.

i own a car for the past 15 years and each and every time i do need to take a taxi, I refuse to go on old ones and I make it very clear if they start behaving, go off if needed. Make a call to 191

[kartman]

How the Taxi passenger panic button will work

 

[bubba]

3 minutes ago, Itay said:

Richard. when you are willing to pay $8 worth just to start the drive like in some western countries THAN the majority of your trips will be as you wish.

we are in a place without law and regulation (or at least not enforcing it) and that's a big reason why its still cheap here.

as someone said here, THE CUSTOMERS will end up paying for those improvements... so make sense to me why you wishlist will not be happening soon.

i own a car for the past 15 years and each and every time i do need to take a taxi, I refuse to go on old ones and I make it very clear if they start behaving, go off if needed. Make a call to 191

But how much does it really cost to:

 

- have serviceable seat belts. All cars come with them. Why do they remove them or install seat covers that make them inaccessible?

 

- keep their vehicles clean and services

 

- drive safely and professionally (and not under the influence)

 

- use the meter

 

- accept rides

 

?

[impulse]

45 minutes ago, bubba said:

Uber send out requests to a prioritised list of drivers. They have less than a minute to accept or reject when the request pops up. If they reject, it immediately passes to the next driver. Even if a driver rejects a request, the whole process takes less than a minute. Compare that to standing in the rain in front of Central World and having ten taxis refuse you over and over for ten minutes. If an Uber driver falls below an 80% acceptance, they begin to get fewer requests. Fall even lower and they get a warning from Uber. 

  

Let's see how that works in a year or two.  One thing ya gotta hand to Uber is their willingness to tweak their business model when they figure out one of their policies is costing them money.

[bubba]

1 minute ago, impulse said:

  

Let's see how that works in a year or two.  One thing ya gotta hand to Uber is their willingness to tweak their business model when they figure out one of their policies is costing them money.

Uber has always worked that way, for years, so why would they want to change that? They deliver a responsive driver, as close to your location as possible, that driver will take you where you want to go and will use the meter.

 

Now let's compare that to the "system" that Bangkok taxis use....

 

 

[impulse]

8 minutes ago, bubba said:

Uber has always worked that way, for years, so why would they want to change that? They deliver a responsive driver, as close to your location as possible, that driver will take you where you want to go and will use the meter.

 

Now let's compare that to the "system" that Bangkok taxis use....

 

Nobody's arguing that the current system isn't screwed up.  But letting even more unregistered (untaxed) taxis on the streets at pricing that doesn't follow the legal prices -just because some outfit has a big war chest of investor money to burn through to fight the legal battles- isn't the solution.  

 

If Uber would register all their taxis, pay the appropriate registration fees and pay taxes and fees into Thailand the same as a legal taxis (or AOT cars), I'd withdraw my objections. But their drivers aren't competing on an even field.  It's not fair to current drivers, and more than a little risky for those of us who count on them being in business next year and beyond.

[Grumpy Duck]

23 hours ago, dg1980 said:

Despite those problems, BKK taxis are generally very good. If the government wants to address negative tourist experiences with taxis they should go after the taxis in Phuket, Samui etc. Extremely poor service and ridiculously overpriced.

I have seldom had problems with taxis in bkk, I realize I will likely be paying extra to sit in traffic. As I recall the only times I did have problems it was in a pink taxi. I find the yellow/green taxis to be more honest. 

[bubba]

30 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

Nobody's arguing that the current system isn't screwed up.  But letting even more unregistered (untaxed) taxis on the streets at pricing that doesn't follow the legal prices -just because some outfit has a big war chest of investor money to burn through to fight the legal battles- isn't the solution.  

 

If Uber would register all their taxis, pay the appropriate registration fees and pay taxes and fees into Thailand the same as a legal taxis (or AOT cars), I'd withdraw my objections. But their drivers aren't competing on an even field.  It's not fair to current drivers, and more than a little risky for those of us who count on them being in business next year and beyond.

Well we have a choice.  If you prefer to haggle for the meter, ride in beat up taxis without seatbelts, get refused five or ten times for your requested destination, get "lost" while a driver rides you around, or even just walk to the end of a long soi to find a taxi to flag down, then that is your choice. Good luck getting a refund if the service was bad or finding the taxi in which you may have left something. All that said,  you will be able to relax in a meter taxi and enjoy that special feeling of knowing that the car in which you are riding has paid taxes and "fees" to the government.

[impulse]

1 hour ago, bubba said:

Well we have a choice.  If you prefer to haggle for the meter, ride in beat up taxis without seatbelts, get refused five or ten times for your requested destination, get "lost" while a driver rides you around, or even just walk to the end of a long soi to find a taxi to flag down, then that is your choice. Good luck getting a refund if the service was bad or finding the taxi in which you may have left something. All that said,  you will be able to relax in a meter taxi and enjoy that special feeling of knowing that the car in which you are riding has paid taxes and "fees" to the government.

 

Again,  that's how it is today.  But there's 3 things that Uber has going against it in Thailand:

 

1) Uber drivers are between the first and second of the 3 "I's" that mark the adopters of just about every new idea.  They're between the Innovators and the Imitators.  The Idiots will be along any minute now. Then we'll be seeing all the same complaints about Uber drivers.

 

2) Uber's business model is illegal in most places and legal fees are burning through their funding (along with subsidies, advertising and fighting for market share)  They may not even be around in a year under their current model.  Remember Napster?

 

3) Like most western based businesses, they are thoroughly underestimating the Asian ability to game any system.  It may be awhile, but soon they'll be pulling the same crap where Tom, Dick and Chatchai all drive the same ragged out car under the same Uber ID, and change to Dick's ID when they thrash Tom's online reputation.

 

(Edit: 4) Uber is taking money that has historically gone to the Elite here in Thailand.)

 

Rather than focus on fighting Uber, I'd prefer to see them concentrate their efforts on actually improving the enforcement to revamp the legal taxi systems.  Like Grab, ATT and normal taxi drivers.  Now, if Uber got their cars legal, I'd be riding with them, too.  And my usual disclaimer:  I live in BKK and I'm generally satisfied with the taxis.  If I lived somewhere else, I may feel very differently.

 

Edited May 8, 2017 by impulse

[gandalf12]

On 07/05/2017 at 8:08 AM, terminatorchiangmai said:

Panic button for who ?

I hope for the passengers

I would say they should be for both passenger and driver

[Sydebolle]

Like with everything else here - let's wait and see ......... Uber and Grab services are around the corner and hence the pressure is on ;-) 

[fruitman]

21 hours ago, bubba said:

So remind me why we need to come down like a hammer on the Uber guys? To remove quality competition and protect the taxi mafia business?

 

The Uber guys use meters and that's totally against the nature of the Pattaya taxi's. The fact they still won't use meters just shows how big their friendship with the police is.

[CLW]

BS, better make them use the meter and not refuse passengers.
That is the real issue...