PHUKET: Serious reforms announced today will resolve the taxi chaos at Phuket International Airport and should begin the spread of metered taxis across all of Phuket.
Airports of Thailand has brought from Bangkok skilled staff with experience at Suvarnabhumi and Don Muang airports to transform taxi operations at the Phuket facility.
In a landmark day of change for Phuket:
..The old mess of limo and taxi groups paying rent and battling for customers will be replaced by a free system.
..Some taxis from Phuket's beaches will be allowed to pick up at the airport as a precursor to passenger calls and pickups extending across the island.
..Taxis will no longer be allowed to ''kidnap'' passengers for the extra commissions that a senior police officer said today were ''destroying tourism on Phuket.''
..Drivers who continue to offend by breaching the new rules will almost certainly be jailed if their ''nine lives'' are used up.
AoT appears to be keeping its promise by forgoing a large rental income from the taxis and has added an experienced team to straighten out the Phuket system.
A Department of Special Investigation representative was present today as the new arrangements were spelled out at a meeting at the airport, chaired by Vice Governor Jamleran Tipayapongtada.
Kanputt Mungklasiri, Executive Vice President, Deputy General Manager of Phuket International Airport (Operations and Maintenance Lines) is one of the new team at the Phuket facility.
He said metered taxis and limos - taxis without meters - would be able to begin registering for work at the airport from October 31.
''Vehicles must be 1950cc, no more than five years old and have insurance for the car, the driver and passengers,'' he said.
Of every 100 baht collected in fares, 15 baht would be passed back to the AoT to support the taxi management system.
At present under discussion was the following fare schedule for metered taxis: 50 baht for the first two km; 12 baht per km for 2km-15km; 10 baht for each km over 15km.
The system would be overseen by a committee of 15 members, including six from the AoT and others from Phuket province, police and Land Transport, plus taxi drivers.
There will be space for only 10 vehicles directly outside the airport terminals, with another 30 at a holding pen within the airport perimeter. The rest will queue outside.
Buses and minivans will also be reorganised in the same way. A hotline will be established to AoT for complaints.
There was some discussion about whether the total number of taxi and limo vehicles operating at the airport was 420 or 464. But it was said that 80 were available to add at peak times.
The representative from the metered cabs said it appeared unfair to expect metered cabs, which numbered 90 at present, to join the queue when they were used to paying rent for their existing prime position.
Phuket Land Transport department specialist Jaturong Keawkasisaid recommended that 100 taxis that could meet the required specification be allowed to bring passengers from karon and Patong - and pick up return pasengers from the airport.
''This will be the best way to introduce people to the concept of anywhere-on-the-island drop offs and pickups,'' he said.
The point was made that in a similar reform at Suvarnabhumi, some drivers continued to pay small fines and abuse the system until December last year, when a driver was sentenced to 45 days' jail for his ninth offence.
It apears the Suvarnabhumi system has run more smoothly since then, the meeting heard.
At thsi point the Director of the Thalang District said there were certain people who remained ''untouchable'' on Phuket.
''We would like to see you take action, not just speak,'' he said.
Airports of Thailand has brought from Bangkok skilled staff with experience at Suvarnabhumi and Don Muang airports to transform taxi operations at the Phuket facility.
In a landmark day of change for Phuket:
..The old mess of limo and taxi groups paying rent and battling for customers will be replaced by a free system.
..Some taxis from Phuket's beaches will be allowed to pick up at the airport as a precursor to passenger calls and pickups extending across the island.
..Taxis will no longer be allowed to ''kidnap'' passengers for the extra commissions that a senior police officer said today were ''destroying tourism on Phuket.''
..Drivers who continue to offend by breaching the new rules will almost certainly be jailed if their ''nine lives'' are used up.
AoT appears to be keeping its promise by forgoing a large rental income from the taxis and has added an experienced team to straighten out the Phuket system.
A Department of Special Investigation representative was present today as the new arrangements were spelled out at a meeting at the airport, chaired by Vice Governor Jamleran Tipayapongtada.
Kanputt Mungklasiri, Executive Vice President, Deputy General Manager of Phuket International Airport (Operations and Maintenance Lines) is one of the new team at the Phuket facility.
He said metered taxis and limos - taxis without meters - would be able to begin registering for work at the airport from October 31.
''Vehicles must be 1950cc, no more than five years old and have insurance for the car, the driver and passengers,'' he said.
Of every 100 baht collected in fares, 15 baht would be passed back to the AoT to support the taxi management system.
At present under discussion was the following fare schedule for metered taxis: 50 baht for the first two km; 12 baht per km for 2km-15km; 10 baht for each km over 15km.
The system would be overseen by a committee of 15 members, including six from the AoT and others from Phuket province, police and Land Transport, plus taxi drivers.
There will be space for only 10 vehicles directly outside the airport terminals, with another 30 at a holding pen within the airport perimeter. The rest will queue outside.
Buses and minivans will also be reorganised in the same way. A hotline will be established to AoT for complaints.
There was some discussion about whether the total number of taxi and limo vehicles operating at the airport was 420 or 464. But it was said that 80 were available to add at peak times.
The representative from the metered cabs said it appeared unfair to expect metered cabs, which numbered 90 at present, to join the queue when they were used to paying rent for their existing prime position.
Phuket Land Transport department specialist Jaturong Keawkasisaid recommended that 100 taxis that could meet the required specification be allowed to bring passengers from karon and Patong - and pick up return pasengers from the airport.
''This will be the best way to introduce people to the concept of anywhere-on-the-island drop offs and pickups,'' he said.
The point was made that in a similar reform at Suvarnabhumi, some drivers continued to pay small fines and abuse the system until December last year, when a driver was sentenced to 45 days' jail for his ninth offence.
It apears the Suvarnabhumi system has run more smoothly since then, the meeting heard.
At thsi point the Director of the Thalang District said there were certain people who remained ''untouchable'' on Phuket.
''We would like to see you take action, not just speak,'' he said.
Sounds like a good plan, the only thing that is not mentioned is from when the plan will implemented fully ?, when will it work like this at the airport ? The only thing that is known is that cars will be able to start registering from the 31st of October.
Posted by Sailor on October 11, 2013 14:44