Taxi wars in Chiang Mai take on new twist as Grab plan to introduce "red bus" application

[webfact]

Taxi wars in Chiang Mai take on new twist as Grab plan to introduce "red bus" application

 

Picture: Daily News

 

CHIANG MAI: -- Grab Taxi have made an interesting move in Chiang Mai to calm the waters in the war between them and existing services.

 

They plan to introduce "Grab Red Truck" in July that would enable consumers to hire the city's "song thaew's" for up to nine persons by using their online app.

 

They claim that though details about pricing are yet to be ironed out they have an agreement in principal with the Department of Land Transport.

 

Grab manager Yee Wee Teng said yesterday that he was confident that the move would help solve the impasse and calm the war between the operators.

 

He added that the issue about private drivers offering services in the city was still being discussed and was yet to be resolved.

 

But in promoting his company's service he claimed that Grab meant journeys were on average 20% quicker for passengers and that car taxi drivers could make 19% more with them and motorcycle taxi drivers could make 25% more than they do at present.

 

Grab and the other main company in the battle for passengers in Thailand, Uber, have been involved in continuing disputes with the DLT saying that their services are illegal and not regulated like those under their umbrella.

 

Source: Daily News

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2017-06-22

[jimstar1]

Uber is cheap fast polite and clean in Chiang Mai 100% on the rest of the Clowns 

[lordblackader]

Wow, I'll be able to book a thief via an app to offer to take me somewhere for 200 baht when the legally prescribed fee around town is 30 baht. Modern technology is so great, what a wonderful time to live. 

[YetAnother]

go Uber/Grab

[masuk]

I was feeling lazy as I walked out of Kad Suan Kaew in Chiang Mai today, so asked a Song taew driver parked at the front to take me about 800m up the road to MAYA.  He immediately demanded 100baht!!!

 

I walked over to the Huay Kaew footpath and the first song taew to stop didn't even quote a price (I never ask). I jumped in and paid my 20baht on arrival.

 

Some drivers don't deserve to have a licence.

[Jonmarleesco]

12 hours ago, webfact said:

'... with the DLT saying that their services are illegal and not regulated like those under their umbrella.

An umbrella that has more holes in it than a tramp's second-best suit. They couldn't regulate the metaphorical p___s up.

[balo]

I don't want to sit in the back of a stupid red truck without air-con. Only Uber can offer that so if you can't beat the competition just forget it.

[whimsy]

The obvious solution never seems to be mentioned. Make taxis use their meters, instead of sitting all day at the airport refusing to use them. Bangkok and a number of provinces manage to do this. Enforce it nation wide. Uber will then be competing at a similar price, right now Uber are not only better, but less than half the price.

Edited June 28, 2017 by whimsy