Land Transport tells operator of GrabBike motorcycle taxi to halt service

[webfact]

Land Transport tells operator of GrabBike motorcycle taxi to halt service



BANGKOK: -- Bangkok's only on-demand motorcycle taxi service provider, Grab Taxi Thailand, will be asked by the Land Transport to stop its GrabBike motorcycle taxi service pending the legalization of its operations.

The request came after the Department of Land Transportation has found that the company uses unregistered motorcycles or those with black license plates, instead of yellow plates, to provide services.

The department’s deputy director-general Natthapong Cherdchu said he would tell the company to hold all services at this time until it has legalized its operations.

He said the department has sent out an invitation to the company for talks after finding that it has been using personal motorcycles or those with black license plates to provide services to the public, while the payment and fare price processing have not been completed under the stipulated regulations.

He said he asked the company to legalize all operation processes, and also asked for the company’s cooperation in halting all services until everything has been legalized.

According to the deputy director, the company has accepted his invitation for talks to work out a mutual understanding and best solution to the situation.

The deputy director-general said the department holds nothing against the use of technology in providing better public transportation services to the people, but such operations must be implemented under the framework set by the laws.

He then suggested to the public to using legal motorcycle taxi services, where the plates of the motorcycles registered must be of yellow colour with black prints, and the driver must adorn the new uniform given to registered motorcycle taxi drivers only.

GrabBike service is same as the taxi service, allowing customers to select pickup and drop-off locations and book a driver. The estimated fare will appear on screen and driver location is also tracked real-time. Prices start from 35 baht per route.

The on-demand motorcycle service for people and parcels has already launched in Hanoi, Hi Chi Minh City and Jakarta, and claims to provide insurance up to 2,000 baht with all drivers’ backgrounds thoroughly checked,

The service was launched in August last year in Bangkok, becoming the third country on GrabBike’s expansion across Southeast Asia, after Vietnam and Indonesia.

Using the service, customers need only to download GrabTaxi app first and then click GrabBike to book the service.

The GrabBike app was developed by the Malaysian taxi-booking app GrabTaxi.

The on-demand motorcycle taxi is becoming popular as for many reasons, which include;

– Distance-based pricing

– Pick up right at your door-step

– Real time tracking and damage insurance

– Receipt for every ride/delivery

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/content/154628


-- Thai PBS 2016-03-11

[Bluespunk]

"According to the deputy director, the company has accepted his invitation for talks to work out a mutual understanding and best solution to the situation."

I'm guessing the solution will be the company carries on operating as before but makes a promise to meet the demands made of it. It will then fail to do so and nothing will be done to follow up it's failure to comply.

[Laughing Gravy]

Someone is not paying their tea money or not enough. Oops sorry administration fees, as it was called at the customs department.

[richard_smith237]

The Moto-Taxi's which are usually parked at the end of Bangkok's Soi's use Registered Bikes with Yellow Number Plates ?????

[aRobotnamedWAR]

you know who else could use a little "pending the legalization of its operations" .... ThaiBev, Sport Commissioner, CP CHICKEN,( that there are extremely harmful levels of hormones in the chicken.) Just to name a few.

I can play match up and link them with their crimes if you cant do your job.

.... Oh. for got thailands new motto... Trust them, they are THAI. ..

[steve187]

a whole 2,000 baht insurance

[webfact]

Military, Police to Monitor GrabBike Shutdown
By Sasiwan Mokkhasen
Staff Reporter


A passenger takes a GrabBike from an annual football match between Chulalongkorn and Thammasat universities held Feb. 13 at National Stadium in Bangkok. Photo: Grab / Facebook

BANGKOK — Friday rush hour has one fewer option after transportation officials ordered GrabBike to halt its service because it violated the law.

The Department of Land Transport told the operator of motorbike taxi service GrabBike to stop operating because the use of private motorcycles, its payment system and rates do not comply with the law. Authorities also suggested such services were bad for Thailand.

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1457679100


-- Khaosod English 2016-03-11

[fey]

what a great service, looking forward to trying it

[Lannig]

Just as Uber Pop was outlawed here in France...

The Thai and French governments share a common dislike of everything "new economy" that goes against their collecting huge taxes and licence fees from "legitimate" operators.

[richard_smith237]

The request came after the Department of Land Transportation has found that the company uses unregistered motorcycles or those with black license plates, instead of yellow plates, to provide services.

Hypocrisy.........

[marinediscoking]

I am surprised this service has been able to be in operation even this long. All of the motorcycle taxi's throughout the country are 100% based on corruption. First depending how busy the taxi stand is dictates how much the vest will cost the driver to work there. I have heard some spots as cheap as 10K and the very busy places 200K, then there is a monthly fee to be paid which is also based on how busy that stand is. The police are the only ones paid for this and everyone in the country knows this and not even the current PM will attempt to change it. The only thing he did was register their identity and the yellow plate was implemented years ago as an identification tool.

The fee menus have mostly disappeared that were put up and the old verbal higher prices are back in place. So no tax collected and they only carry the compulsory insurance which every motorbike must have and is not legal for passenger transport.

I met a young english tourist last year on his first time to thailand who had a broken leg. He told me the motorbike taxi he was on collided with a baht bus, he went to the hospital, his mates went to the police station with both drivers. After some time in the police station both drivers disappeared and the police said they had no idea who they were or how to find them and sent them on their way. He had travel insurance but because he was on the back of a motorcycle so the insurance would not cover. He went to a private hospital so the bill was more than he had allotted for his entire holiday so he was on the phone home to his mum to send money. The current taxi system is rotten from top to bottom and always has been.

[SoilSpoil]

We used this service in Bangkok and were very pleased with it. I get the same idea as with Uber that companies that want a share of the corrupt transport market are being halted.

[kannot]

I am surprised this service has been able to be in operation even this long. All of the motorcycle taxi's throughout the country are 100% based on corruption. First depending how busy the taxi stand is dictates how much the vest will cost the driver to work there. I have heard some spots as cheap as 10K and the very busy places 200K, then there is a monthly fee to be paid which is also based on how busy that stand is. The police are the only ones paid for this and everyone in the country knows this and not even the current PM will attempt to change it. The only thing he did was register their identity and the yellow plate was implemented years ago as an identification tool.

The fee menus have mostly disappeared that were put up and the old verbal higher prices are back in place. So no tax collected and they only carry the compulsory insurance which every motorbike must have and is not legal for passenger transport.

I met a young english tourist last year on his first time to thailand who had a broken leg. He told me the motorbike taxi he was on collided with a baht bus, he went to the hospital, his mates went to the police station with both drivers. After some time in the police station both drivers disappeared and the police said they had no idea who they were or how to find them and sent them on their way. He had travel insurance but because he was on the back of a motorcycle so the insurance would not cover. He went to a private hospital so the bill was more than he had allotted for his entire holiday so he was on the phone home to his mum to send money. The current taxi system is rotten from top to bottom and always has been.

like almost everything in Thailand.............greedy

[Dibbler]

So it's legal to use Moto drivers organized by police and military that have paid under the table fees to ride with a vest but then rip off farang and unsuspecting Thais with non-standard fares. But it's illegal to use fixed price competitors that also offer a convenient service (call them to pick you up anywhere rather than having to find the nearest Moto queue) and a safer service (by providing passengers with a helmet). I guess this is what's called a protection racket?

[losworld]

Military, Police to Monitor GrabBike Shutdown

By Sasiwan Mokkhasen

Staff Reporter

A passenger takes a GrabBike from an annual football match between Chulalongkorn and Thammasat universities held Feb. 13 at National Stadium in Bangkok. Photo: Grab / Facebook

BANGKOK — Friday rush hour has one fewer option after transportation officials ordered GrabBike to halt its service because it violated the law.

The Department of Land Transport told the operator of motorbike taxi service GrabBike to stop operating because the use of private motorcycles, its payment system and rates do not comply with the law. Authorities also suggested such services were bad for Thailand.

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1457679100

-- Khaosod English 2016-03-11

Interesting pic. I would not be riding around so obvious with the moto mafi getting pissed off. Secondly they are not smart enough to put a helmet on the gal for a photo?

[sjaak327]

Just as Uber Pop was outlawed here in France...

The Thai and French governments share a common dislike of everything "new economy" that goes against their collecting huge taxes and licence fees from "legitimate" operators.

New economy ? There is nothing really new about it of course. Motorcycles have been used for transportation for ages. The advantage of the old way of doing things ks that you don't even need a smart phone or other computing device, you use old communication. Human, convenient and fun.

As to legitimate operators, ever heard of a level playing field ?

[BuckBee]

It's a good idea really (not a thai idea) but obviously a lot of people in thailand don't like good ideas unless they get a monthly envelope .

[dunks]

What was it the Military said the other day?...

Something like we will continue to shut down the Mafia and influential people?!!

????? Here we are a couple of days later....same same....

They should shut down the police-Mafia as a start!

Who am I kidding, we all know they are completely full of excrement?!!

[RigPig]

Up North they just hand paint over the original number plate... same same...

[jacko45k]

Could they stop all the annoying emails in Thai too then!