PHUKET: Illegal tuk-tuk drivers banned from working on Phuket for months say they will protest unless they can be included back in Phuket's transport system, a meeting heard yesterday.
The 126 drivers were quickly detected and ordered to stop working when the military took over government in Thailand last year.
The drivers, who are all independent and drive vehicles with white plates, not yellow plates, say they will be forced to protest at Phuket Provincial Hall in Phuket City if they are not allowed to work.
Vice Governor Somkiet Sangkaosutthirak asked Land Transport department officials to look at whether there was some way of absorbing the illegal drivers into the existing total of tuk-tuks, which number about 1300 on Phuket.
At the same time, the vice governor made the point that Phuket does not need more tuk-tuks and every effort should be made to maintain the present level of numbers of vehicles.
''About 70 percent of the island's tuk-tuks are based in Patong and it's well-known that the destination has huge parking problems because of these vehicles,'' he said.
At present, Land Transport officials told Phuketwan, there are 644 registered rear-entry tuk-tuks in three groups - Phuket Tavorn Transport (423) Phuket Sahayayon (115) and Ruamjai Yanyon Ttansport (106).
About 500 other tuk-tuks - a mix of both side entry and rear entry vehicles - are independently run. They form the ''Tuk-Tuk Divers' Club.''
Side-entry vehicles are mostly older vehicles and were once based solely in Phuket City, on the island's eastern coast. These days, most of the tuk-tuks in Patong are rear-entry vehicles.
Phuket's tuk-tuks and taxis have notoriously high fares that are six times those of Bangkok.
Phuket's ability to hold international events is limited by the extortionate cost of taxis and tuk-tuks. Most locals cannot afford to take taxis, even in emergencies.
The 126 drivers were quickly detected and ordered to stop working when the military took over government in Thailand last year.
The drivers, who are all independent and drive vehicles with white plates, not yellow plates, say they will be forced to protest at Phuket Provincial Hall in Phuket City if they are not allowed to work.
Vice Governor Somkiet Sangkaosutthirak asked Land Transport department officials to look at whether there was some way of absorbing the illegal drivers into the existing total of tuk-tuks, which number about 1300 on Phuket.
At the same time, the vice governor made the point that Phuket does not need more tuk-tuks and every effort should be made to maintain the present level of numbers of vehicles.
''About 70 percent of the island's tuk-tuks are based in Patong and it's well-known that the destination has huge parking problems because of these vehicles,'' he said.
At present, Land Transport officials told Phuketwan, there are 644 registered rear-entry tuk-tuks in three groups - Phuket Tavorn Transport (423) Phuket Sahayayon (115) and Ruamjai Yanyon Ttansport (106).
About 500 other tuk-tuks - a mix of both side entry and rear entry vehicles - are independently run. They form the ''Tuk-Tuk Divers' Club.''
Side-entry vehicles are mostly older vehicles and were once based solely in Phuket City, on the island's eastern coast. These days, most of the tuk-tuks in Patong are rear-entry vehicles.
Phuket's tuk-tuks and taxis have notoriously high fares that are six times those of Bangkok.
Phuket's ability to hold international events is limited by the extortionate cost of taxis and tuk-tuks. Most locals cannot afford to take taxis, even in emergencies.
"They will be forced to protest at Phuket Provincial Hall in Phuket City if they are not allowed to work."
Nothing preventing them from working- just not as ILLEGAL tuk tuk drivers. Plenty of honest work out there for those who want it, but better to sit on one's backside and do nothing other than want to feed off the fatted calf.
Posted by Mister Ree on February 14, 2015 09:05