BANGKOK, 26 August 2013 The Taxi Assembly of Thailand has petitioned the Administrative Court to order Transport Minister Chadchart Sitthiphant to increase the starting fare for taxis in line with the high cost of living.
The group’s representatives filed a petition with the Administrative Court in a bid to compel the ministry to raise the starting fee from 35 baht to 50 baht covering the first two kilometers of the journey. After the first two kilometers, the rate would be 12 baht per kilometer. When the car is in idle, an extra 3 baht per minute would be added to the current rate.
Moreover, according to the group’s demand, when the taxi is requested via the call center, the commission fee would be increased from 20 baht to no more than 50 baht. If the taxi is hailed at the airport, the additional fee collected from the passenger would be raised to no more than 100 baht.
The assembly explained that the rates requested would reflect the rising cost of living and operating costs.
Taxi drivers have also been staging rallies near Parliament, calling on the government to issue financial aid for them in the wake of its decision to float LPG prices from September onwards.
