Banglamung District Chief Sakchai Taengho
presides over the latest meeting to address the motorcycle taxi
situation in Pattaya.
Urasin Khantaraphan & Surasak Huasoon
Pattaya-area officials trying to overhaul the city’s
motorcycle-taxi industry say they have registered 761 taxi stands
serving 7,950 riders in Pattaya, Banglamung, Nongprue and Huay Yai.
Banglamung District Chief Sakchai Taengho said soldiers, police and
municipal officers were divided into three groups to investigate the
jurisdictional areas under the responsibility of Pattaya, Banglamung,
Nongprue and Huey Yai police stations.
The National Council for Peace and Order - which almost immediately
after seizing power in the May 22 coup shook up Bangkok’s motorbike-taxi
sector - on July 15 ordered Pattaya officials to do the same. The plan
is to register all the drivers, provide them numbered vests and enforce
legal fares set by the Chonburi Transport Department.
Officials from five agencies said Oct. 2 they had surveyed the entire
region, finding 925 motorbike-taxi stands and 11,127 riders. The next
step was to register the riders and hand out new official vests.
Sakchai said officials now have registered 530 stands with 6,128 riders
in Pattaya, 146 stands with 1,289 riders in Banglamung, 83 stands with
504 riders in Nongprue and two stands and 29 riders in Huay Yai.
However, all four areas also have unregistered riders, many of them part
time, and unofficial taxi stands. Sakchai said officials would take
action against any unregistered riders found.
The registration, in theory, is supposed to result in radically lower
fares and better behavior from the often unruly bands of motorcycle-taxi
drivers.
Military officials said in July - and Sakchai reiterated this month -
that motorbike taxis would have to adhere to existing, but currently
ignored, Land Transport Department fare regulations, which state rides
of two kilometers or less should not exceed 25 baht. The third through
fifth kilometer adds only 5 baht each to the fare. Distances of more
than five kilometers would remain negotiable.
Currently, Pattaya motorbike taxis charge 40 baht for even the shortest
rides.
Other changes required under the new program would mandate drivers treat
customers politely, be properly dressed, wear the correct jersey and
long pants, have a yellow public-transport license plate, have helmets
for both driver and passenger, park unobtrusively, not use drugs or
alcohol, and display a license at taxi stands with the names of all
registered drivers.
He said any motorcycle-taxi passengers find riders to be overcharging or
not acting in accordance with the program’s rules can report the rider
to the 14th Military Circle at 038-276-171, the Chonburi Land Transport
Department at 1584, the Pattaya Call Center at 1337 or a Banglamung
District at 038-22-124.
