BANGKOK, 17 May 2012 – Under a government-initiated scheme, tens of thousands of cab drivers have agreed not to raise the fare for 3 more months or until energy price has been adjusted.
Taxi cooperatives in Bangkok and the vicinities, comprising over 50,000 members, have gathered at the Royal Plaza to show support for the government-initiated project for taxis nationwide to collectively delay fare adjustment for a period of 3 months or until the government has decided to adjust energy price.
Agriculture and Cooperatives Deputy Minister Nattawut Saikua, in his capacity to oversee the operation of taxi cooperatives, said that after a 3-month peg on the taxi fare, the ministry and taxi cooperatives will re-evaluate the energy price and cost of living. If both are still high, the government will come up with assistance measures to lessen the expense of taxi cooperative members.
Meanwhile, Vice President of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (TCC) Pornsilp Patcharintanakul said that the scheme is only a short-term assistance measure, which does not provide a direct solution to the problem, since the global energy price is already starting to fall.
It is estimated that the global fuel price will further drop to under 100-110 baht per barrel. Consequently, the country’s energy price should also be seeing a declining trend.
