Taxi drivers propose higher traffic-jam fares in Bangkok

[webfact]

Taxi drivers propose higher traffic-jam fares in Bangkok

By THE NATION

 

File photo

 

BANGKOK: -- Taxi drivers are demanding that authorities allow them to charge passengers more in trafficjam areas.

 

“In Bangkok’s inner zones, the fare should not be just Bt2 per minute because traffic congestion means higher energy consumption for cabs,” Witoon Naewpanich said yesterday, in his capacity as the chair of the Bangkok-based taxi cooperative network. 

 

He said he had already raised the issue with Deputy Transport Minister Pichit Akrathit during a recent discussion on why taxis, in defiance of the law, often refused passengers. 

 

Taxi fares already have different rates for zones depending on congestion. In light-traffic areas, the first kilometre costs Bt35, kilometres two through 10 cost Bt5.5 each, while the 11th through 20th is Bt6.5. 

 

But in areas where cabs move at speeds of less than six kilometres per hour, the fare is Bt2 per minute on top of those fares. 

“But Bt2 does not reflect the actual cost,” Witoon said. 

 

He added that if new fares were introduced for traffic-jam zones, he trusted that taxi drivers would no longer refuse rides to passengers to the inner area of Bangkok. 

 

In a related development, the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning is considering a reduction in the speed limit along city roads from 80 kilometres per hour to 40, director Chaiwat Thongkhamkoon said yesterday. 

 

He added that Thailand has the highest city speed limit in Asia, where the norm is 40 to 60km/h. “Thailand might opt for a speed limit of 40km/h, the same as Japan,” he said.

 

 

“It might take a year before the new speed limit could be implemented,” Chaiwat added. 

 

The World Health Organisation in 2015 ranked Thailand as second-highest among all countries for road accidents, behind Libya. 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30323116

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-08-08

 

[Moonmoon]

They should definitely revise the fares for different areas and different timings of the day which would be fair for the taxi drivers, and at the same time the taxi drivers should have no excuses to refuse a customer anymore, or being a taxi mafia monoplizing a certain district or area. 

[Thian]

If taxi's don't like to drive in the most crowded area's they're free to go drive elsewhere, isn't it?

[DoctorG]

Not much fun for the passenger either; watching the meter tick over whilst not going anywhere.

[SWW]

My 3.2L truck drinks around 0.7L of diesel every hour if it's sitting going nowhere (I have one of those OBD-II gadgets so I have checked). If you assume that a taxi drinks 2kg of CNG over the same hour (and it's probably way less!), doesn't that mean the "actual cost" would be less than 30 THB per hour? So yes, by all means modify the price to reflect the "actual cost", although that would mean cutting the price to a quarter of what it is now.

[jacko45k]

Is it relevant if they are refusing to use the meter anyhow, or even refusing the fare.?

[Toshiba66]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

In a related development, the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning is considering a reduction in the speed limit along city roads from 80 kilometres per hour to 40, director Chaiwat Thongkhamkoon said yesterday. 

Wont this increase congestion? I fail to see how this will help for one and be taken notice of secondly.

 

I agree that the fares need to be looked at in areas of constant traffic jams but your leaving lots of grey area situations to the drivers regulating the meter.

 

Be nice if they could stop the refusals to pick up unless your prepared to pay twice the metered rate though. 

 

Getting a taxi in Bkk is mostly ok though compared to other cities. It is cheap if they are on a meter. However,  Pattaya is a scam this country should be ashamed of. 

Edited August 8, 2017 by Toshiba66

[klauskunkel]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

He added that if new fares were introduced for traffic-jam zones, he trusted that taxi drivers would no longer refuse rides to passengers to the inner area of Bangkok. 

in essence: bribe us to follow the law

[impulse]

3 hours ago, Thian said:

If taxi's don't like to drive in the most crowded area's they're free to go drive elsewhere, isn't it?

 

Not legally.  If someone hops in the cab and asks to go to the most crowded, miserable, screwed up intersection in Bangkok, they aren't allowed to say no.  

[gandalf12]

When they always use the meter and NEVER refuse a fare then they should increase the rate not before.

If they can not act professionally they can not expect to be treated by the customer professionally.

[Cyclone88]

1 hour ago, SWW said:

My 3.2L truck drinks around 0.7L of diesel every hour if it's sitting going nowhere (I have one of those OBD-II gadgets so I have checked). If you assume that a taxi drinks 2kg of CNG over the same hour (and it's probably way less!), doesn't that mean the "actual cost" would be less than 30 THB per hour? So yes, by all means modify the price to reflect the "actual cost", although that would mean cutting the price to a quarter of what it is now.

It may cost 30 baht to tick over for 60 minutes but why should he only charge 120 baht?  Fuel is not the only cost of running a cab. 

So you think the driver should sit there for a loss if they cut the fare to a quarter? 

Wake up. This is the real world.

[NextStationBangkok]

What about making dedicated Taxi lanes ?

 

So that people start using public taxi than driving own car....

[wirat69]

12 minutes ago, Cyclone88 said:

It may cost 30 baht to tick over for 60 minutes but why should he only charge 120 baht?  Fuel is not the only cost of running a cab. 

So you think the driver should sit there for a loss if they cut the fare to a quarter? 

I don't think your maths stack up... wages 40 baht per hour, gas approx 25 baht per hour, so that leaves 55 baht per hour for maintenance and capital... but rarely is the taxi stuck for a complete hour... compare the economics of flag fall fares per hour... needs at least 4 fares for short distance.... not going to happen!!

[lvr181]

Money is God (as always). Providing a lawful service is a somewhat distant second. 

[mike324]

Taxi drivers are one of the main causes of traffic jams in bangkok, cut down on the number of taxi licenses to reduce traffic!

[mike324]

56 minutes ago, NextStationBangkok said:

What about making dedicated Taxi lanes ?

 

So that people start using public taxi than driving own car....

there are already dedicated taxi lanes, taxis parked at the side of road in many parts of bangkok waiting for customers.

Nana, pratunam just to name a few, all causing traffic and reduce road usage.

 

So no, its a bad idea. 

[Thaidream]

Most taxis are rented for about 700 Baht per 12 hours.  Add in another 300 Baht for either CNG or LPG fuel and we are up to 1000 Baht that the drive has to make to break even.  there is no doubt that in heavy traffic there are only a limited number of fares a taxi can get.

 

Last week, I had reason to take a taxi in the central Bangkok district. I had to stop several taxis before I could get one to go to my destination. that one indicated he would take me only if he didn't use the meter. I negotiate the price and the best I could do was about double the meter fare. I did not want to miss my appointment and away we went. I had a long conversation with the driver and he indicated because of the traffic congestion he could not make enough money to survive on after he paid for traffic rental and gas.

 

I have also noticed  that when I try and get a taxi and the red light is on- they will turn it off if they are not interested in stopping. This is ridiculous as they don't even know where I want to go. then there are the taxi's sitting around that will refuse any meters and agree to take passengers at inflated prices and sometimes the area is controlled by a taxi mafia.

 

Somethng really needs to be done to get rid of the taxi mafia; taxis refusing to take passengers and taxis with no meter. If they raise the price that is fine along with proviso that no taxi ever operates without a meter and never refuses a passenger. When  I travel in central Bangkok- I mostly will use a taxi to the nearest BTS or MRT station to try and avoid the taxi issues of longer travel.

 

[smotherb]

Well, short of actually having roadways capable of handling the traffic.  Why not use a system of zoning permits--make vehicles pay an exorbitant extra fee to be able to operate in congested downtown areas; oh, that's right, nobody enforces traffic laws anyway.

[THAILIBAN]

8 minutes ago, Thaidream said:

Most taxis are rented for about 700 Baht per 12 hours.  Add in another 300 Baht for either CNG or LPG fuel and we are up to 1000 Baht that the drive has to make to break even.  there is no doubt that in heavy traffic there are only a limited number of fares a taxi can get.

 

Last week, I had reason to take a taxi in the central Bangkok district. I had to stop several taxis before I could get one to go to my destination. that one indicated he would take me only if he didn't use the meter. I negotiate the price and the best I could do was about double the meter fare. I did not want to miss my appointment and away we went. I had a long conversation with the driver and he indicated because of the traffic congestion he could not make enough money to survive on after he paid for traffic rental and gas.

 

I have also noticed  that when I try and get a taxi and the red light is on- they will turn it off if they are not interested in stopping. This is ridiculous as they don't even know where I want to go. then there are the taxi's sitting around that will refuse any meters and agree to take passengers at inflated prices and sometimes the area is controlled by a taxi mafia.

 

Somethng really needs to be done to get rid of the taxi mafia; taxis refusing to take passengers and taxis with no meter. If they raise the price that is fine along with proviso that no taxi ever operates without a meter and never refuses a passenger. When  I travel in central Bangkok- I mostly will use a taxi to the nearest BTS or MRT station to try and avoid the taxi issues of longer travel.

 

 

 

Singapore has a rush-hour fare system and it actually works. Fair enough, me thinks.

Though that would not prevent the Taxi-Mafia from applying their own rules in TH

[antoniuni]

They should FIRST to learn NOT to refuse clients! I went some days ago from thanon Phitsanulok to Nimitmai khlong Samwa, about 50 km. and I was refused at least seven times!!!!!!!!!! 

[jmacken306]

3 hours ago, DoctorG said:

Not much fun for the passenger either; watching the meter tick over whilst not going anywhere.

Yeah, and when they stop for gas they leave the meter running, that's when we get out, We're not waiting in line, the line is out in the road, and one taxi the air didn't work!!!!

[amdy2206]

Cars would be lucky to go 10km per hour in most parts of Bangkok so I don't see how reducing the speed limit will help.

[Metapod]

They already gave them 2 raises and the quality of taxis hasn't changed at all.

[impulse]

2 hours ago, gandalf12 said:

When they always use the meter and NEVER refuse a fare then they should increase the rate not before.

If they can not act professionally they can not expect to be treated by the customer professionally.

 

No matter how high the fare goes, there will always be a minority of bad actors wanting more.  Should the majority of taxi drivers (who do follow the rules and offer decent service) be perpetually penalized for the few who won't?  And should the guys cruising the areas outside of the tourist traps be penalized because the ones who frequent Lower Sukhumvit at closing time figure out they'll be breaking even (or worse) if they accept a 35-40 baht fare after they've cruised around for an hour because there are way too many taxis in BKK?

 

Make the fares reasonable, make them variable to account for the changes in the operating cost and the cost of living, and the BKK traffic.  Then come down on those who are still greedy.

 

Edited August 8, 2017 by impulse

[impulse]

1 hour ago, Thaidream said:

I have also noticed  that when I try and get a taxi and the red light is on- they will turn it off if they are not interested in stopping. This is ridiculous as they don't even know where I want to go

 

Happens all the time when a taxi has been summoned by Grab or another service.  Can't blame them in that case.

 

[Get Real]

5 hours ago, Thian said:

If taxi's don't like to drive in the most crowded area's they're free to go drive elsewhere, isn't it?

Yeah! Bright Idea! How should we solve the problem when people get angry believing that they choosed a longer way around instead?
You see! Always a problem. Better let them make a little bit higher fees. People can´t afford it always have the bus. 
In my opinion taxi fares are far to inexpensive in this country.

[Damrongsak]

It's a nightmare.  I remember back around 1978 with the night curfew,  stuff would shut down.  About 11:30 we'd have to grab a cab from Patpong to  Pratunam.  May have cost 30 Baht for about 3 km.  But it was an exciting ride at high speeds on the empty streets. If it was too close to the curfew time, I think the drivers would just pull over and sleep in an alley to avoid a fine. I remember seeing meters in cabs, but never one that worked. 

[gandalf12]

31 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

No matter how high the fare goes, there will always be a minority of bad actors wanting more.  Should the majority of taxi drivers (who do follow the rules and offer decent service) be perpetually penalized for the few who won't?  And should the guys cruising the areas outside of the tourist traps be penalized because the ones who frequent Lower Sukhumvit at closing time figure out they'll be breaking even (or worse) if they accept a 35-40 baht fare after they've cruised around for an hour because there are way too many taxis in BKK?

 

Make the fares reasonable, make them variable to account for the changes in the operating cost and the cost of living, and the BKK traffic.  Then come down on those who are still greedy.

 

They shouldn't be but the ones who do need proper penalties and that is why some continue to do it. It will make the other driver put pressure on the bad ones and raise the overall standard.

[thhMan]

The problem is that they are not trusted to do anything

Changes have been made, but the Taxi system, still refuses fares, still fail to use meters

 

Perhaps they should all fall in line and obey the rules first.... Then they can make demands...

Till then, why trust them them, when many still go against the rules?

[AjarnMartin]

The WHO death statistics have little or no relationship with inner city speed regulations...