PHUKET: The crackdown on illegal taxi drivers in Phuket entered its fifth month as officials made two arrests in Kathu last Friday (June 2).
A checkpoint hunting for illegal taxi drivers was organised at Si Kor Intersection in Kathu under the direction of Adcha Buachan, Chief of the Phuket Land Transport Office (PLTO).
PLTO officials and Kathu Police officers conducted the operation on the main road to and from Patong, the island’s most popular tourist area. The checkpoint was active from 9am to 11am.
Although the exact number of vehicles checked during the two-hour operation was not disclosed by the PLTO, it proved sufficient time for officials to apprehend two drivers allegedly using their private vehicles to provide commercial transportation services.
The outcomes of the operation were shared on the PLTO’s Facebook page around 10pm on June 2, less than 24 hours before the Department of Land Transport’s (DLT) central office publicly announced Bolt having become a legitimate taxi application in Thailand and been granted permission to provide services nationwide.
Bolt drivers on private vehicles can also provide services to customers in Phuket or any other location in Thailand, as long as their cars have the “CAR APP” stickers that confirmn proper registration with the DLT or PLTO in Phuket.
