The idea was brought up by the taxi company “My Taxi”; they will agree to invest in a new method of operation instead of the usual “taxi meter”. Where customers can purchase a membership for a monthly fee of 12,000 THB for unlimited taxi rides within Bangkok and the suburban area surrounding Bangkok including Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, and Samutprakarn.
The Department of Land Transport has answered on the issue that the department needs time to revise on the specific details within the proposed idea. From the brief public detail, it is estimated that such payment by a monthly package is not valid, as the whole reasoning of Taxi Meter is that the fee calculation shall be calculated by the distance traveled measured by the meter.
Worapol Gamkuntod the president of the association of taxi drivers commented on the issue that the idea proposed by My Taxi is not in contradiction with the regulations of taxi meter because it is not a packaged payment by a flat rate. The reasoning being that the taxi’s will still turn on the meter in all rides, except that the payment for the rides will not go directly into the driver’s pocket but instead paid ahead of time to the company in monthly installments.
Assoc Prof. Viroat Srisurapanon, the leader of Transportation Engineering from the Faculty of Engineering, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT); commented that such the program is a very interesting program, as the service can greatly help in improving the current ongoing issue of taxi’s not accepting customers on the road.
My Taxi plans to create an application where memberships can call taxi rides to pick them up at all times. The taxi’s that agree to be a part of the program will have to undergo a strict training course that will help train taxi’s to dress appropriately, manner training, and driving regulations to fully establish a quality program. My Taxi further stated that the program has already been sent to the Department of Business Development.
FB Caption: Taxi drivers come up with another great idea, or not?
Source: Thai PBS
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