BANGKOK, 23 April 2012 – The Department of Land Transport will announce a new taxi fare within June this year. The fare hike is a result of the government’s policy to raise compressed natural gas (CNG) price.
After a meeting on the new taxi fare today, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Land Transport Chirut Wisarnchit said all relevant parties agreed that the gas price hike would reduce taxi drivers’ income. He said the department would urgently conclude the new fare and submit it to the Minister of Transport for consideration within these two weeks or early May. The new fare is expected to be effective in June.
The CNG price increase will cut the drivers’ income to less than 300 baht a day, which is below the new minimum wage. According to Mr. Chirut, their income should be around 400-450 baht a day.
The deputy director-general emphasized that the new taxi fare must have minimum effects on passengers, especially those who travel by taxi for a short distance. He added that taxi drivers themselves should improve their service and confirmed the new fare would reflect the real cost of operation based on the CNG price of 10.50 baht per kilo.
