PHUKET: Four drivers arrested for having illegal taxis in Patong recently were given suspended jail terms and fined in Phuket Provincial Court yesterday, a Patong traffic police officer said today.
''The four were each sentenced to six months in jail and fined 20,000 baht,'' said the Chief of the Traffic Division at Kathu Police Station, Lieutenant Eakarat Plaidung.
''But the men pleaded guilty so the sentences were suspended, provided the drivers are of good behavior for two years. And because they pleaded guilty, the fines were also reduced by half to 10,000 baht.''
The penalty for being caught driving an illegal taxi is a fine of up to 100,000 baht and a maximum of five years in jail.
The drivers will also have to report regularly to the court.
News of the penalties is likely to put more illegal taxis off the road without the need for police to intervene.
''We are concentrating on the so-called 'black' taxis for now,'' Lieutenant Eakarat said. ''Getting the green-plate taxis under control, with the help of the military, will follow.''
He added that plans to reverse the one-way system on Patong would first be put to residents at a public meeting.
Taxi drivers have mostly opposed the system, but with a holding bay being established at Tritrang, south of Patong, some may now prefer the traffic flow being reversed.
Cases involving mass arrests of scores of drivers in Kata-Karon and Patong are a separate matter and have not been scheduled in court yet.
''The four were each sentenced to six months in jail and fined 20,000 baht,'' said the Chief of the Traffic Division at Kathu Police Station, Lieutenant Eakarat Plaidung.
''But the men pleaded guilty so the sentences were suspended, provided the drivers are of good behavior for two years. And because they pleaded guilty, the fines were also reduced by half to 10,000 baht.''
The penalty for being caught driving an illegal taxi is a fine of up to 100,000 baht and a maximum of five years in jail.
The drivers will also have to report regularly to the court.
News of the penalties is likely to put more illegal taxis off the road without the need for police to intervene.
''We are concentrating on the so-called 'black' taxis for now,'' Lieutenant Eakarat said. ''Getting the green-plate taxis under control, with the help of the military, will follow.''
He added that plans to reverse the one-way system on Patong would first be put to residents at a public meeting.
Taxi drivers have mostly opposed the system, but with a holding bay being established at Tritrang, south of Patong, some may now prefer the traffic flow being reversed.
Cases involving mass arrests of scores of drivers in Kata-Karon and Patong are a separate matter and have not been scheduled in court yet.
Is this true? A maximum fine is 100,000b. if you just say: 'I am guilty', it will be 10,000 b only!? ( 10%!). Great, the 4 drivers are now laughing. And for others it means, ..just do what you want, and keep 10,000b ready for pay off in court. NCPO seems to loose grip on patong. Today many tuk tuks parked along the red-white painted sides of pedestrian walks at beach road. My prediction is that in less than 2 months patong will be again a 'free port'. Police will be happy with that, back to normal with their 'tea money income'.
Posted by Kurt on September 19, 2014 17:32
Editor Comment:
The NCPO will be in power for a lot longer than two months, so I'd do some research on your predictions and your understanding of court decisions, Kurt. Maximums are only applied in the worst cases.