Cannot Hail Taxis on Some Streets Next Month

[rickfarang]

With the situation in the South seeming to only grow more tragic and stressful each day as a threat was made to bring the troubles North, Ministers and editors coming out agains all massage parlors, a critical broadcaster claiming to have been forced off the air by government influence, and worries of the loss of a free press, this might not seem like such an important issue, but Bangkok is going to start looking more like Singpaore in at least one respect (article below).

 

 

TRANSPORT

Taxi rank plan aims to solve traffic problems

 

Cabs on six congested city roads will be able to pick up passengers only from designated taxi ranks during peak hours from Oct 15. PM's Office Minister Newin Chidchob said taxi operators yesterday agreed to form a panel to designate locations for taxi stands by Oct 1.

 

Taxi ranks will be set up in front of government offices and private firms on New Phetchaburi, Sukhumvit, Ramkhamhaeng, Phahon Yothin, Charan Sanitwong and Ratchadaphisek roads.

 

Cab drivers violating the agreement on these roads could lose licence points, be forced to do community work, or even have their licence cancelled.

 

All cabs will be eligible to use the new taxi ranks free of charge.

 

 

 

Somyos Suwannasombat, president of the Sala metered taxi cooperative, said he was pleased the public sector was helping to solve traffic problems, but whether the idea succeeded would depend on passengers' cooperation.

 

''It is up to passengers. Some are accustomed to hailing cabs on the streets rather than walking a bit further to a taxi stand,'' he said.

 

''So the government will have to come up with a public relations campaign.''

[Flashermac]

Walk to a taxi stand? What do they look like? Guess I haven't lived here long enough to have seen a taxi stand yet.

 

Unless they mean we have to walk all the way to the airport!

 

 

p.s. Now here's a better solution. How about all politicians and high ranking civil servants pitching in by leaving their limos at home and riding buses to work!

 

 

 

[Flashermac]

Walk to a taxi stand? What do they look like? Guess I haven't lived here long enough to have seen a taxi stand yet.

 

Unless they mean we have to walk all the way to the airport!

 

 

 

 

 

p.s. Now here's a better solution. How about all politicians and high ranking civil servants pitching in by leaving their limos at home and riding buses to work!

 

 

 

[SiLeakHunt]

In my experience it's the dropping off on those roads, not the picking up that causes the delay.

If you put in designated pick up zones that will cause a back up rather than just flagging one down and hopping in quickly.

 

Cheers

[Evel_Penivel]

I wonder if this rule will be as vigorously enforced as the prohibition against prostitution.

[gummigut]

Wish they do some other things like:

 

Put a cop at the front of Rachada Soi 3 from Midnight to 2am. Taxi's often park two lanes deep waiting for the kids from Rachada Soi 4 to go home. I've even seen taxi's pickup passengers in the third freak'n lane!!!

 

And if there aren't a lot of taxis, the kids take up the first lane!

 

Rachada Soi 3 is a major congestion point at night!

 

<<burp>>

[BuffHello]

there are so many taxis on the roads that the ranks will have to be enormous to cater for them all. Take suk road late at night its full right along with taxis and tuktuks. So this means that many taxis wont be allowed on the road as there wont be any rank space to cater for them, so that means they will all be driving around looking for a rank space. Hey we are back to square 1 !

Take nana soi 4 ,its 1 big parking lot at 9-1am . 6 cars wide by 200 deep.

[Flashermac]

<< I wonder if this rule will be as vigorously enforced as the prohibition against prostitution. >>

 

 

Probably as strictly as the law that taxi drivers must have a chauffeur's licence ... or at least SOME kind of licence.

 

 

p.s. When you do see a licence displayed (as the law "requires"), notice how many times the photo does not match the face of the person actually driving!