An organised gang of Phuket taxi drivers has filed a formal complaint against the use of ride-hailing apps on the island. The Phuket Express reports that the drivers are petitioning transport officials to stop licencing taxi apps, which they describe as illegal.
According to Kornpitak Arsanasuwan from the Phuket Land Transport Office, his department accepted a letter from Abdulwahab Suksalee, acting as representative of the Phuket Taxi Meter Driver Association. In the letter, the drivers claim they have been badly affected financially as a result of “illegal” cars being booked as taxis through the mobile apps.
Mr Abdulwahab says such cars are using both licenced and unlicenced ride-hailing apps, with tourists and other passengers not knowing the difference. Phuket’s taxi mafia, sorry, drivers, are calling for all registration of mobile apps to be suspended, claiming there isn’t enough business on the island to justify having any more drivers. They also want the authorities to be more stringent in checking for illegal taxi services.
For its part, the PLTO says it’s trying to work out a way to resolve the issue, which has been a scourge on Phuket’s reputation for years now, with near daily altercations between rival drivers:
Phuket taxi driver attacks vehicle of Bolt driver in Bang Tao
Phuket minivan drivers force tourist out of minivan
Two Phuket taxi drivers have licences suspended following Kamala altercation
Phuket Airport staff order passengers out of pre-booked minivan to take airport taxi
SOURCE: The Phuket Express
