PHUKET: Governor Maitree Intrusud was told today by a group of Patong tuk-tuk drivers that the leader of their taxi rank collected 600 baht a day from each of 64 drivers.
Governor Maitree told drivers that his aim was ''to change the system, to find a new way''. ''There are too many tuk-tuks parked here,'' he said.
''We are planning to make it so that all tuk-tuks don't have to all park in the same area.''
It was not made clear to Governor Maitree today why the drivers paid so much of their daily income to the rank's leader.
Phuketwan later established that the leader of this Patong rank - opposite Jungceylon shopping mall, where many visitors come and go shopping or to Soi Bangla - is a man nicknamed Pong.
A number of sweeping reforms are planned to Phuket's much criticised taxi and tuk-tuk system, where a driver monopoly enables them to charge tourists excessively high fares.
Governor Maitree learned from drivers on his surprise visit today that drivers in the queue, opposite the Jungceylon mall in Rat-U-Tit 200 Pi, earned about 1200 baht a day in fares.
There were 64 tuk-tuks in the rank, the governor was told. ''Of the 1200 baht, 600 baht goes to the leader of the rank,'' the governor was told.
''Each driver has to pay his costs, including petrol and maintenance, from the remaining 600 baht.''
Governor Maitree asked what the fare was from the rank to Karon, the next beach south from Patong.
He was told the fare to Karon was 400 baht, whether there was a single passenger or four or five.
A trip from Patong to Central Festival Phuket, another shopping centre in Phuket City, would cost 450 baht, he was told.
A tourist who wanted to go a bit further to Old Phuket Town in the heart of Phuket City would pay 600 baht.
Governor Maitree, noted for doing his own research when changes are coming, also chatted to tourists and some massage parlor workers nearby.
The superintendent of Kathu Police Station, Colonel Jirapat Pochanapan, revealed the following arrests of illegal tuk-tuk and taxi drivers so far in the Phuket district, which takes in Patong:
January: 194
February: 100
March: 248
April: 73
May: 144
June: 158
July: 253
August: 191
September: 172
Fines range up to 2000 baht. Some Patong tuk-tuk drivers have been complaining about the lack of action against illegal tuk-tuks.
According to the colonel, there are 467 legal tuk-tuks and 53 illegal tuk-tuks in Patong.
Governor Maitree told drivers that his aim was ''to change the system, to find a new way''. ''There are too many tuk-tuks parked here,'' he said.
''We are planning to make it so that all tuk-tuks don't have to all park in the same area.''
It was not made clear to Governor Maitree today why the drivers paid so much of their daily income to the rank's leader.
Phuketwan later established that the leader of this Patong rank - opposite Jungceylon shopping mall, where many visitors come and go shopping or to Soi Bangla - is a man nicknamed Pong.
A number of sweeping reforms are planned to Phuket's much criticised taxi and tuk-tuk system, where a driver monopoly enables them to charge tourists excessively high fares.
Governor Maitree learned from drivers on his surprise visit today that drivers in the queue, opposite the Jungceylon mall in Rat-U-Tit 200 Pi, earned about 1200 baht a day in fares.
There were 64 tuk-tuks in the rank, the governor was told. ''Of the 1200 baht, 600 baht goes to the leader of the rank,'' the governor was told.
''Each driver has to pay his costs, including petrol and maintenance, from the remaining 600 baht.''
Governor Maitree asked what the fare was from the rank to Karon, the next beach south from Patong.
He was told the fare to Karon was 400 baht, whether there was a single passenger or four or five.
A trip from Patong to Central Festival Phuket, another shopping centre in Phuket City, would cost 450 baht, he was told.
A tourist who wanted to go a bit further to Old Phuket Town in the heart of Phuket City would pay 600 baht.
Governor Maitree, noted for doing his own research when changes are coming, also chatted to tourists and some massage parlor workers nearby.
The superintendent of Kathu Police Station, Colonel Jirapat Pochanapan, revealed the following arrests of illegal tuk-tuk and taxi drivers so far in the Phuket district, which takes in Patong:
January: 194
February: 100
March: 248
April: 73
May: 144
June: 158
July: 253
August: 191
September: 172
Fines range up to 2000 baht. Some Patong tuk-tuk drivers have been complaining about the lack of action against illegal tuk-tuks.
According to the colonel, there are 467 legal tuk-tuks and 53 illegal tuk-tuks in Patong.
The tuktuk are not all bad. A few years ago when my mother visited I took her to Patong for a lovely meal and then could not find the car. We walked around and sure but not sure where I parked asked a tuk tuk to take us around the one way system explaining that we could not find our car. He and his lady (wife) took us around several times and no car. I asked how much and he said nothing, no money. I rang a friend and asked if cars are towed or stolen in Patong and she said no, so we asked another tuktuk (by chance he had a lady (wife) sitting with him to drive us around the one way and again when I offered to pay he said no. So no car, then we walked and I saw my car surrounded on three sides by parked tuktuks no wonder I did not see it. Anyway they all moved without an argument. Moral of the story, take a lady of maturity out with you, it can save you millions.
Posted by Fiesty Farang on September 19, 2013 19:17
Editor Comment:
No thinking person would argue that there aren't some extremely decent tuk-tuk drivers. Sorting the good from the bad is always going to be a key issue.