PHUKET: The ongoing ’taxi disputes’ in Phuket got new development yesterday (June 13) when local drivers of metered taxis pleaded for protection from both illegal and fully legal competitors working through mobile apps such as Bolt, Grab, and Hello Phuket. The petition was handed to Phuket officials just two days after a local tuk tuk driver was charged for damaging a Bolt taxi because its female driver picked up a foreign tourist on his turf. The shocked tourist witnessed the incident from inside the attacked vehicle.
Dozens of taxis in red and yellow liveries lined up on Tha Kraeng Rd on Tuesday (June 13) when local drivers led by Abdulvahup Suksalee arrived at Phuket Provincial Hall to hand their petition to Governor Narong Woonciew, urging him to protect traditional cabbies from what they deem unfair competition from drivers working via mobile apps.
Kornpitak Asanasuwan, head of the policy division at the Phuket Land Transport Office (PLTO), and Prayad Chophakapan, Head of Phuket Provincial Office, received the petition on behalf of Governor Narong.
Having received the document, officials invited 10 representatives of the drivers to join a meeting at Phuket office of the Damrongdhama Centre (Ombudsman’s Office) to discuss the matter, as confirmed by the Phuket offices of the Department of Public Relations (PR Phuket).
The group explained that taximeter drivers have been heavily affected by illegal competition from unregistered drivers providing taxi services via apps, PR Phuket said.
According to the signatories of the petition, the CAR APP drivers wrongly believe that they can freely operate their private vehicles as taxis as long as they receive orders via the seven mobile applications approved by the Department of Land Transport (DLT).
The drivers reasonably pointed out that this understanding is wrong, as people also need to formally register with the DLT (or PLTO in Phuket) and receive the CAR APP stickers confirming their legal status.
The aforementioned misunderstanding results in conflicts, which are covered by the media, damaging Phuket’s tourism image, stressed the taximeter drivers.
The petition
According to the cabbies’ petition, legally operating drivers with CAR APP stickers are concidered a problem for the taximeter sector as well. Even more, actions agains them open the least of the demands by the taximiter drivers.
The petition included the following requests to Governor Narong:
Suspend the increase in the number of legally registered vehicles working as taxis via mobile apps “because there are already too many, and the number tends to increase every day.”
Intensify the crackdown on unregistered taxis, namely private cars without CAR APP stickers, working as public service vehicles and taking orders via mobile apps in Phuket.
Maintain a balance between the number of registered private vehicles in the CAR APP system and the number of taximeters, leaving enough clients for the latter as taximeter drivers have higher operational costs than drivers using private cars.
Provide taximeter drivers access to passengers at Phuket airport by setting up taximeter counters in adequate locations, including near the International Terminal. Phuket Governor Narong is expected to act as a middle person in negotiations between taximeter drivers and the airport.
Set up a joint working group to solve the aforementioned and other possible issues. The working group should be organised by Governor Narong and include representatives of taximeter drivers and relevant officials from the PLTO, Airports of Thailand (Phuket office), and Phuket Provincial Police.
Fair fares
Speaking on behalf of the petition’s signatories, Mr Abdulvahup said that suspending the registration of new CAR APP vehicles is the most pressing issue “because now there are more of these cars than metered taxis in Phuket.”
“In the past, we had access to the airport and were able to find customers in other places, but now we can’t get passengers as most of them use applications believing it is cheaper,” Mr Abdulvahup said.
Mr Abdulvahup did not elaborate on whether Grab, Bolt, or Hello Phuket (the three approved taxi apps functioning in Phuket) indeed offer lower fares or if it is a misperception on the customers’ side.
In March 2023, the Phuket Info Center page, operated under the Phuket office of the Ministry of Interior, issued a notice reminding people of the rates to be charged by metered taxis in Phuket as per the announcement by the Ministry of Transport in 2014.
According to those fares for metered cabs, a ride from Patong to Phuket airport in a metered taxi should cost around B450. Popular mobile apps currently offer the same services for a price of B800-900. The officially recommended price for green plate taxis is B800. A shared vehicles such as a bus or a minivan can cost around B100-150 per person.
Turf wars
Speaking on June 13, Mr Abdulvahup said that misunderstandings between traditional cabbies and drivers in the CAR APP system “cause controversies which can be often seen presented as news on various channels all the time”. It is widely admitted that such stories damage Phuket’s tourist image on the international scene.
Mr Abdulvahup did not give any specific examples of recent “controversies” between drivers with yellow-plated or green-plated cars and those who work on private vehicles and receive orders via Bolt, Grab, and Hello Phuket.
The report by PR Phuket didn’t mention any cases either, though the most recent incident occurred just two days before, on June 11.
The case, “presented as news on various channels,” involved a female driver on a legally registered CAR APP taxi picking up a foreign tourist in the Bang Tao area, the jurisdiction of Cherng Talay Police and home to many upscale residential developments, resorts, restaurants, and entertainment venues.
The woman accepted the order via the DLT-approved Bolt app and, when about to drive the passenger to their destination, her car was blocked by several local taxi drivers.
One of the men jumped on the bonnet of the vehicle and hit the car, causing damage. The woman managed to drive away without being physically harmed herself, and the passenger was not hurt either, only reported as “in panic.”
The tourist reassured the taxi driver that they still love Thailand despite the shocking experience. The CAR APP driver took the passenger to their destination and then came to Cherng Talay Police Station to file an official complaint regarding the incident, which led to property damage.
On June 13, The Phuket News contacted Cherng Talay Police Station and received confirmation from an officer on duty that the aforementioned events took place in Bang Tao and resulted in formal charges against the attacker. The man was charged with causing property damage and intimidation.
The identity of the attacker has not been disclosed. Records from the woman’s dashcam show the suspect initially sitting in a three-wheeled tuk-tuk.
Though not typical Phuket taxis by apperance, these tuk-tuks have yellow plates, just like taximeters, tourist minivans, and other official public service vehicles.
