Phuket Taxi Drivers File Formal Complaints to Officials Over Mobile Application Taxis

Phuket –

Phuket taxi meter drivers have filed formal complaints to relevant officials asking for assistance over what they call illegal mobile application taxis.

Mr. Kornpitak Arsanasuwan from the Phuket Land Transport Office (PLTO) received a letter from Mr. Abdulwahab Suksalee, a representative from the Phuket Taxi Meter Driver Association.

The letter states that many taxi meter drivers in Phuket have been affected financially because allegedly many illegal vehicles are being used as mobile application taxis.

Taxi drivers are using certified and uncertified mobile applications, said Abdulwahab. Passengers and drivers are confused, they think that certified mobile applications can be used with black license plate vehicles (personal cars) without any legal registration as a licensed transport vehicle or proper transport insurance, registration, and license.

Mr. Abdulwahab wants to halt all new mobile application approvals as there are too many now and the numbers are continuing to increase. Officers should strictly check illegal taxis (black plate/personal cars/not registered) which are being serviced through both certified and uncertified mobile applications, added Abdulwahab.

The PLTO officials said they are trying to figure out a way to solve these problems as nearly every day there is some sort of incident between rival taxi driver groups.

Although some applications, most notably Bolt, have been certified by PLTO for use, drivers are expected to have a legal transport plate, license, registration, insurance, and other documentation required for a taxi driver to operate.

The drivers claimed the tourist’s app-hailing van driver could not pick up passengers at the port and told the tourist to drag her suitcase out of there if she intended to use app-hailing services.

Taxi drivers in Phuket are being asked by officials to be more polite after a foreign female tourist was forced out of a minivan in Phuket by drivers of other vans operating at the Phuket Rassada Port.

A local taxi driver allegedly attacked and jumped onto a mobile application taxi car with a foreign passenger inside in the Thalang district.

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