webfact Posted October 29, 2018 Share Posted October 29, 2018 Move to let Taxi OK cabs charge more By THE NATION File photo THE LAND Transport Department is seeking a fare hike for cabs participating in the Taxi OK project. The project now covers 12,893 of the 80,647 taxis across the country. Taxi OK cabs are equipped with GPS tracking, snap-shot cameras, an emergency button and other features that promise greater passenger safety. “We will submit our taxi-fare hike proposal to Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith before the end of this week,” the department’s deputy director general Komol Buranapong said yesterday. He said if Arkhom approved the proposal, an announcement would confirm the fare hike within the next 30 days. “Once the announcement appears in the Royal Gazette, the new fare rate will take effect,” he said. According to Kamol, the proposal seeks to raise taxi fares by eight per cent on the overall fare, not the starting fare. “Fares, for example, will increase in traffic-jam areas,” he added, explaining the proposed rate was based on a study by the Thailand Development Research Institute. Kamol said the study showed taxi drivers now earned just Bt1,564 in fares each day and after expenses they usually made just Bt400. Minimum daily wages in Bangkok are now Bt325. “As taxi drivers’ incomes should be around 1.5 times the minimum wage, taxi fares should be raised,” he said. He said taxis that were not yet in the Taxi OK project should adjust themselves to comply with the project’s conditions and join in so that they too could be entitled to the proposed higher rate. From October 1 last year until September 30 this year, authorities have received 48,223 complaints about taxi services. Most commonly reported problems are taxis refusing to take passengers, impoliteness, reckless driving, not using the taxi meter and not dropping passengers at the agreed location. “The number of complaints is higher than in previous years,” Kamol said, He said his department would present these statistics to Arkhom alongside its fare-hike proposal. Taxi passengers’ complaints about taxi services have usually increased whenever there is talk of fare-hikes being in the pipeline. Everyone living Bangkok has known someone who has been turned away by taxi services before. This is despite the fact that the laws forbid taxi drivers from rejecting passengers. -- © Copyright The Nation 2018-10-30 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyAndRich Posted October 29, 2018 Share Posted October 29, 2018 54 minutes ago, webfact said: Everyone living Bangkok has known someone who has been turned away by taxi services before. This is despite the fact that the laws forbid taxi drivers from rejecting passengers. So, as long as they can´t follow the law, there should not even be a hike in fare up for discussion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
z42 Posted October 29, 2018 Share Posted October 29, 2018 And yet the app based ones do what customers want without all the drama and without hiking prices. Regular cabs are victims of their own bad reputations. Son nam na Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stanleycoin Posted October 29, 2018 Share Posted October 29, 2018 That's nice for them, Bless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackinthebox Posted October 29, 2018 Share Posted October 29, 2018 That ist nothing more than a simple increase of fares IMHO: >“As taxi drivers’ incomes should be around 1.5 times the minimum wage, taxi fares should be raised,” Why should it be 1.5 times the minimum wage? It is not really a qualified job or needs any vocational education. And what about Motorbike-Taxis (WiinMotorsaai), TucTucs or Cashiers at 7Eleven? >Kamol said the study showed taxi drivers now earned just Bt1,564 in fares each day and after expenses they usually made just Bt400. That is simply not true. They rent the cab, the rent-rate is 1000Baht for 24hours, they normally rent it for 500Baht / 12hours shift. They ALL run on gas (CNG), which is ~18 Baht per kilogramm (even in traffic-jam they can make 10kilometers per kg). AND: Taxis get some special vouchers from the land transport department that entitles them to buy CNG for only 9 Baht per kilogramm. So i wonder if they ever pay more than 200 Baht for a shift. Overall I would say their expenses are not more than 800 Baht and they usuallay make 700-800 Baht per day. That is MUCH MORE than the minimum wage that millions of (friendly and trustworthy) Bangkokians make for their hard work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikebell Posted October 30, 2018 Share Posted October 30, 2018 3 hours ago, webfact said: the laws forbid taxi drivers from rejecting passengers. the laws also decree a meter must be used to determine fares; ask any Pattaya policeman & he will tell you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thian Posted October 30, 2018 Share Posted October 30, 2018 2 hours ago, HappyAndRich said: So, as long as they can´t follow the law, there should not even be a hike in fare up for discussion. Exactly, and as long as the airport taxi's can't speak a word english i think they should learn that first before they get a raise..they are a shame for the country. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KittenKong Posted October 30, 2018 Share Posted October 30, 2018 3 hours ago, webfact said: Taxi OK cabs are equipped with .... an emergency button .... that promise greater passenger safety. Interesting idea. Does that button provide a high-voltage shock to the driver's backside, for use when the passenger spots him texting/drinking/sleeping whilst driving? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
webfact Posted October 30, 2018 Author Share Posted October 30, 2018 DLT says no change to taxi fares as studies continue BANGKOK, 30th October 2018 (NNT) – The Department of Land Transport (DLT) has clarified that it is still reviewing the results of a study conducted by the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI) into proper taxi service pricing and will not adjust fares at this time. Deputy Director-General of the DLT Kamol Buranapong , acting as spokesperson for the department, said the TDRI has submitted its findings on safety and quality issues pertaining to taxi cabs, as well as a study of capital costs and appropriate fares. The DLT is now considering the results and will submit its own report to the Ministry of Transport, which earlier raised taxi fares up to 8 percent on December 13, 2014. For the second phase of taxi fare adjustments, the TDRI has proposed three guidelines that would all maintain initial fares at 35 baht but adjust costs based on circumstances such as traffic congestion. It pointed out that any adjustment should not increase prices from their present point by more than 8 percent and should only apply to cabs that have passed through the Taxi OK program; so far a total of 13,000 out of Bangkok’s 80,000 taxis have been successful. So far this year, 48,223 complaints have been made on the 1584 taxi hotline. The top five complaints are refusing a fare, inappropriate behavior, dangerous driving, dubious charges and incorrect delivery. The DLT is to consider the large number of complaints as part of its review of fares. -- nnt 2018-10-30 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cracker1 Posted October 30, 2018 Share Posted October 30, 2018 How can I know if I am flagging an OK Taxi or not ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricklev Posted October 30, 2018 Share Posted October 30, 2018 Actually those Taxi OK cabs are pretty good. New, clean, never had a problem with the drivers who actually seemed kind of trained. I flag them down whenever possible if I see one. Never tried the app though. They deserve a slightly higher fare. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricklev Posted October 30, 2018 Share Posted October 30, 2018 1 minute ago, cracker1 said: How can I know if I am flagging an OK Taxi or not ? It says App Taxi GPS on the light on the top of the car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thian Posted October 30, 2018 Share Posted October 30, 2018 4 minutes ago, cracker1 said: How can I know if I am flagging an OK Taxi or not ? Look at the pic, they have this sign on the roof.. I spotted one yesterday but didn't know it was one of those new ones...also i think it's fair if these taxi's can charge more since they also deliver much more quality than those old crappy ones that come out at night in the subs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sakeopete Posted October 30, 2018 Share Posted October 30, 2018 4 hours ago, KittenKong said: Interesting idea. Does that button provide a high-voltage shock to the driver's backside, for use when the passenger spots him texting/drinking/sleeping whilst driving? Don't forget having a wank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunderhill Posted October 30, 2018 Share Posted October 30, 2018 Funny in other countries the cameras are there to protect the driver, in Thailand to protect the passengers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
upu2 Posted October 30, 2018 Share Posted October 30, 2018 5 hours ago, Thian said: Exactly, and as long as the airport taxi's can't speak a word english i think they should learn that first before they get a raise..they are a shame for the country. Never had a problem at Swampy with taxi drivers. I really do not understand how so many people seem to have problems with them unless of course their attitude sucks then the taxi driver will not be smiling and friendly. As for not speaking English most do but it is limited. If you are living in THailand why not make the effort and learn a few words in Thai? It would make sense to everyone except those who feel every person in the world should speak English Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thian Posted October 30, 2018 Share Posted October 30, 2018 12 minutes ago, upu2 said: Never had a problem at Swampy with taxi drivers. I really do not understand how so many people seem to have problems with them unless of course their attitude sucks then the taxi driver will not be smiling and friendly. As for not speaking English most do but it is limited. If you are living in THailand why not make the effort and learn a few words in Thai? It would make sense to everyone except those who feel every person in the world should speak English Last week i got my ticket for the taxi's at Swampy, lane 8....i dragged my luggage to that lane (far away) to discover that there was no taxi there...i already feared to drag everything back to that machine but decided to go standing at lane 8 and see what happens. Then my taxi arrived after a minute, i told him where to go but he didn't know that road...kept asking me you know, you know?? It's one of Bangkoks biggest roads what i told him..So i even had to tell him how to drive in Thai. He also didn't help me put the luggage in the car, wouldn't open the boot...not what i call a good taxi for an international airport but i got home with him. So you think the foreign tourists should learn Thai to use a taxi from the airport....interesting....This is exactly why my wife has to pickup international consultants when they arrive to work with her from Europe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justgrazing Posted October 30, 2018 Share Posted October 30, 2018 9 hours ago, webfact said: Most commonly reported problems are taxis refusing to take passengers, impoliteness, reckless driving, not using the taxi meter and not dropping passengers at the agreed location Closely followed by a lot of gearchanging .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
upu2 Posted October 30, 2018 Share Posted October 30, 2018 14 minutes ago, Thian said: Last week i got my ticket for the taxi's at Swampy, lane 8....i dragged my luggage to that lane (far away) to discover that there was no taxi there...i already feared to drag everything back to that machine but decided to go standing at lane 8 and see what happens. Then my taxi arrived after a minute, i told him where to go but he didn't know that road...kept asking me you know, you know?? It's one of Bangkoks biggest roads what i told him..So i even had to tell him how to drive in Thai. He also didn't help me put the luggage in the car, wouldn't open the boot...not what i call a good taxi for an international airport but i got home with him. So you think the foreign tourists should learn Thai to use a taxi from the airport....interesting....This is exactly why my wife has to pickup international consultants when they arrive to work with her from Europe. Why shouldnt you learn some Thai if you are living in Thailand? I guess just plain laziness Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HerbalEd Posted October 30, 2018 Share Posted October 30, 2018 Taxi fares in BKK are already very cheap. And while I like cheap taxi fares very much, I have no sympathy for those who whine about raising the fares -- and even complaining that present fares are too high. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer90210 Posted October 30, 2018 Share Posted October 30, 2018 If the prices will hike for the official taxis, all the more reason to use GRAB/UBER now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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