PHUKET: Any legally registered taxi is now welcome to pick up passengers at Rassada Pier, Phuket’s main marine gateway to Phi Phi Islands and the location of the most recent episode in the island’s taxi ’turf wars’.
Following the most recent argument between taxi drivers, all cabs were allowed to operate at Rassada Pier. Photo: Phuket Info Center
A sign announcing the absence of exclusive rights for the area was posted at the terminal on June 5, just two days after foreign tourists were ordered to exit an ’external’ van they had booked through a mobile app on June 3.
While the tourists were eventually allowed to continue their journey on an ’external’ vehicle, Phuket Land Transport Office (PLTO) Chief Adcha Buachan has pledged to find a ’long-term solution’ to the issue.
“The taxi drivers at the pier thought that the minivan driver illegally used the Bolt application to pick up the tourists and tried to stop him. But the head of the queue intervened and informed them that Bolt had been legalized. As a result, they allowed the tourists to return to the van and leave the pier,” Mr Adcha explained to The Phuket News.
Following the incident, officials – including representatives from the police and the military – visited the pier and conducted a meeting with the drivers who have a concession with the ferry operator. Phuket Move Forward MP-elect Somchart Techathavorncharoen was present at the meeting and later disclosed some of the key points discussed.
“The operation of the taxi queue has no legal basis, but it has been in practice since 2012. It is a common assumption among taxi drivers that they have the legal right to operate a ’taxi queue’ in the area and prevent other drivers from picking up passengers there. However, in reality, this is not the case,” explained Mr Somchart, saying that this point was made by the PLTO.
“It is recommended to install a clear sign at Rassada Pier, indicating the designated area where outside taxis, not affiliated with the Rassada Pier cooperative, can stop and pick up passengers,” continued Mr Somchart.
Regarding his own contributions at the meeting, Mr Somchart said that he “requested cooperation from all taxi professionals to help maintain the tourism image of Phuket.”
Bolt approved in Thailand
Exactly on the day of the Rassada Pier incident (June 3), the Department of Land Transport (DLT), of which the PLTO is a provincial branch, has officially confirmed that the Bolt application had been legally authorised to operate in Phuket and throughout Thailand. With this confirmation, the total number of taxi apps available for local residents and tourists reached seven. Those are:
- Hello Phuket;
- Bonku;
- Asia Cab (CABB);
- Grab;
- Robinhood;
- AirAsia Super App;
- Bolt.
The DLT also clearly stated that personal vehicles with black and white license plates can be legitimate taxis as long as they have been registered as mobile application service vehicles, complete with officially issued stickers of proof. An example of such a sticker was posted with the announcement.
