Army turns screws again on baht buses, taxis

[Rimmer]

Army turns screws again on baht buses, taxis

PATTAYA: The military will turn the screws on Pattaya’s baht buses and taxis again this month, ending the practice of warning drivers and banning them from camping outside malls and hotels.

 

Maj. Gen. Popanan Lueng­panuwat, head of the National Council for Peace and Order in Banglamung, met with transport operators, police and city officials Aug. 22 to announce yet another “D-Day” on enforcement of its traffic policies.

 

Starting Sept. 1, he said, drivers of tour buses, baht buses and taxi cabs caught violating traffic and parking rules no longer will receive a warning. They will be fined on the spot and, in some cases, their vehicles impounded for seven days.

 

Popanan noted that since the army imposed its new rules in February, more than 700 drivers have been cited, fined and trucks impounded, but violations continue.

 

Read more: http://www.pattayamail.com/news/army-turns-screws-baht-buses-taxis-184869

 

-- © Copyright Pattaya Mail 2017-09-01

 

[scorecard]

 

Obviously meaning the punishment (like many things in Thailand) needs to be doubled or tripled or more to get compliance.

 

License to drive cancelled and car / songtaow impounded for 90 days, caught driving or caught using the vehicle within the 90 days means automatic 10 days jail would (I think) get their attention 

[ezflip]

I fear that the army will need to do this every week until it sink into their little heads. Otherwise, the taxis and baht-bus will continue to do as they please.

[zakk9]

How about getting the taxis to use their meters?

[Pdaz]

Confiscate and crush on second offence. Introduce parking meters and employ hundreds of traffic wardens on an incentive driven wage package.. Sick of the roads being monopolized by the greedy, selfish taxi and bus driving mafia.

Well done the Army.. Keep hounding them.

[SidJames]

A lot of people double park when delivering or dropping off stuff including buses because most available kerb is taken up with motorbike rentals.

Also a lot of 7/11s are on corners & have minimal stockrooms so have constant little deliveries.

It's wonder the road system works at all but the massive coaches spewing out black clouds of fumes as the tear down the small sois driven by seeming untrained drivers who don't know how to use their clutch are the ones that really get my goat & more especially when they park up of an evening to clean out their coaches dumping the rubbish anywhere whilst thinking that everyone within 100 yards wants to listen to their choice of music played at ear-spitting levels

 

[petermik]

Good luck............

[Basil B]

The only way to get the message over is for the army to requisition a lot of land for the purpose of impounding vehicles...

 

[YetAnother]

"Popanan noted that since the army imposed its new rules in February, more than 700 drivers have been cited, fined and trucks impounded, but violations continue."

So the Army continues to do the job of the police; so what exactly do we need the police for?

[KittenKong]

2 hours ago, SidJames said:

A lot of people double park when delivering or dropping off stuff including buses because most available kerb is taken up with motorbike rentals.

 

True. But many people double-park because they cant be bothered to walk 5 yards back from the next empty parking space.

[johng]

How about getting the taxis to use their meters?

Yes the one thing that is actually wrong with the taxi system is not mentioned.

Whats wrong with parking outside the mall or hotels if there is space to do so
and they take the customer with meter running on a First In First Out system.
(Yes the meter thing )

Also being able to wave down a taxi/songtheaw and have them drop you on demand is very convenient....no need for special taxi/bus stops....untill
( if ever ) they get some "proper" busses
running regular routes....but even then you should be able to "hail a cab" like you can in London or New York.

[lespaulTV]

Anyone think there are too many baht bus?

[Jingthing]

5 minutes ago, lespaulTV said:

Anyone think there are too many baht bus?

Many do. They are mostly people that don't rely on baht buses. 

I seriously doubt the people that rely on baht buses think there are too many.

 

Next ... 

Edited September 1, 2017 by Jingthing

[johng]

Anyone think there are too many baht bus?

No not really, because if there where too many they wouldn't make enough money to be profitable or worth all the hassle.....do they cause traffic hold ups and frustrate other road users.... yes but they are a very good public transportation system for tourists and residents without transportation.

[Currumbin]

Three strikes and they should be conscripted. That should sort them out.

[lonewolf99]

the problems is there are too many cars on the roads...if it was just Baht busses and motorbikes life would be so much simpler....They should have park and ride sites set up North South and East of the town and have the Baht busses start and stop all ther runs there....and then how about self driving electric baht busses - how would that work ?????

[bodymassagemyfriend]

6 hours ago, Pdaz said:

Confiscate and crush on second offence. Introduce parking meters and employ hundreds of traffic wardens on an incentive driven wage package.. Sick of the roads being monopolized by the greedy, selfish taxi and bus driving mafia.

Well done the Army.. Keep hounding them.

The bhat bus driver do not own their vehicle , they rent it to a 'corporation' for around 500-700 bhat a day .

There few business nowdays where you dont have a pimp.

[Pdaz]

2 hours ago, lonewolf99 said:

the problems is there are too many cars on the roads...if it was just Baht busses and motorbikes life would be so much simpler....They should have park and ride sites set up North South and East of the town and have the Baht busses start and stop all ther runs there....and then how about self driving electric baht busses - how would that work ?????

 Alternatively, halve the amount of bahtbuses and ban coaches from central Pattaya. Prevent motorcycle rental places from parking dozens of bikes on the public road. The stop all the double parking and enforce traffic laws. 

Do away with the stupid "coned" off areas in front of shopping centers and all the taxi trash that parks there.

If you want to walk or take public transport "up to you" but I rather like my car thanks..

[Pdaz]

3 hours ago, lespaulTV said:

Anyone think there are too many baht bus?

When you see five of them cruising along with only one punter in the back.... Or parked five in a row outside central.

Far too many.. 

 

[Marc K]

Love dem songtaews, they are convenient and cheap. But hey how about them following the new "routes"? The Naklua to Na Jomtien (route 5?) is a joke. I tried to go from Beach Road to Jomtien (without the inconvenient change in Pattaya Tai) and the driver told me "You crazy!" he wasn't going to go even though his route sign specifically said that was his route. Do those routes mean anything at all? Rhetorical question, the obvious answer is "NO". They should not be allowed to dump you wherever they please.

[Jingthing]

Ignore the route signs and you'll feel less crazy. 

[Jonmarleesco]

13 hours ago, Rimmer said:

Popanan noted that since the army imposed its new rules in February, more than 700 drivers have been cited, fined and trucks impounded, but violations continue.

So what is likely to change? A hefty - and by hefty, I mean in four figures, or even five - fine would be a start.

[Jonmarleesco]

4 hours ago, Pdaz said:

 Alternatively, halve the amount of bahtbuses and ban coaches from central Pattaya. Prevent motorcycle rental places from parking dozens of bikes on the public road. The stop all the double parking and enforce traffic laws. 

Do away with the stupid "coned" off areas in front of shopping centers and all the taxi trash that parks there.

If you want to walk or take public transport "up to you" but I rather like my car thanks..

'... enforce traffic laws.' And that is the nub of the problem. The BiB don't. 

[hawker9000]

11 hours ago, johng said:

No not really, because if there where too many they wouldn't make enough money to be profitable or worth all the hassle.....do they cause traffic hold ups and frustrate other road users.... yes but they are a very good public transportation system for tourists and residents without transportation.

Agreed, and I haven't often seen them "camping" outside malls or hotels either, as taxis & tourist busses do routinely, except the pick-up queues like the ones on 2nd Road on either side of S Pattaya Rd.   Not that the queues make that much sense to me; I'd think there'd be more revenue in staying on the move and picking up fares along the route rather than wasting all that time waiting to get to the front of a long line and only then get to take on passengers.   Or is that their "lunch break" or something?

 

'Certainly not shedding any tears over the taxis & tour busses.   'Don't much care what the army deals out for them.

 

 

[Awinkl]

17 hours ago, zakk9 said:

How about getting the taxis to use their meters?

Everytime I see a Taxi with the METER sign on top - I just ask the driver - "you turn on the meter"? .... and they usually look STUNNED at such a question?... some just laugh - and then I just walk away ..... hoping, that maybe - sometimes in the far distant future - the Taxi Mafia will be FORCED to use the meter.

Why does it work in other Town/Cities in LOS? But Pattaya has to many Farangs that can easily be "fleeced"!!

[thinkingman]

Actually, I think the negotiated taxi prices are ok. $12 to ban amphora is a deal to me with no breathalyzer atms to deal with.

Edited September 2, 2017 by thinkingman

[thinkingman]

Also,just negotiate for what  are willing to pay for the trip.

 

 

[Jingthing]

2 minutes ago, thinkingman said:

Also,just negotiate for what  are willing to pay for the trip.

 

 

Use Grab Taxi or Uber. Will always be cheaper than any "negotiated" not fair with the FAKE taxi meter cars. 

[chrissables]

10 minutes ago, thinkingman said:

Actually, I think the negotiated taxi prices are ok. $12 to ban amphora is a deal to me with no breathalyzer atms to deal with.

They charge you dollars?

[jaywalker]

On 8/31/2017 at 11:31 PM, Rimmer said:

Army turns screws again on baht buses, taxis

They need to use thumbscrews to get their attention.