Bangkok Taxis can be fined for refusing service starting 1 SEPT

[urleft]

Wooooo Wooooo, for all of us that have been refused taxi service in Bangkok:
 
http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews/309622/fine-for-cabbies-refusing-service
 
 
  Fine for cabbies refusing service 
 

• Published: 27/08/2012 at 09:16 PM
• Online news:

         Traffic police will introduce a new penalty for taxi drivers who refuse service to passengers by arresting and fining them without a prior warning, effective from Sept 1.
 
Unhappy passengers could now petition the police directly without having to submit their complaints to the Department of Land Transport as before.  The complainants must inform police of the registration number of a taxi whose driver refuses to take them where they want to go, said Pol Col Weerawit Wajjanapukka, chief of the Traffic Police Division’s ticket information centre.
 
The new regulation will take effect on Saturday, bringing the total number of traffic penalties that allow immediate arrest to 13.   
 
Pol Col Weerawat said refusal of service caused immediate hassles and difficulty for passengers in need of a taxi service and police officers now will not issue a warning to first-time offenders but arrest them. 
 
 

[Alan]

. Of corse, policy and implimentation go hand in hand in LOS 

[Prakhonchai Nick]

By the time the cabby is "arrested, the passenger(s) will be long gone, and even though they may have complained, will receive no feed back. The cabby and the arresting policeman will no doubt come to some mutually agreeable arrangement (if it ever gets that far)

The only fair way is for the complaining passenger to receive compensation.

[dimple joe]

IMHO taxi drivers have every right to choose which fares they accept, just like a hooker can choose who she goes with and a bar can choose who to serve drinks to.

It's a pain sometimes I know, but it's not only a Bangkok problem, in London you get "South of the river guv - not at this time of night" etc., etc., and similar in every major city in the world.

The guy who says "no" has a life too, maybe he's on his way to the depot to return his cab and you want to go in the opposite direction, maybe he knows the traffic is horrendous where you want to go, or maybe he has to pick up his kids from school.

Do you really think that a guy who doesn't want to run his life around your so so important needs or refuses to pick up drunken farangs on Sukhumvit should be arrested?

Chill out, look up the road, there are fifty more cabs coming.

[Italiantony]

IMHO taxi drivers have every right to choose which fares they accept, just like a hooker can choose who she goes with and a bar can choose who to serve drinks to.

It's a pain sometimes I know, but it's not only a Bangkok problem, in London you get "South of the river guv - not at this time of night" etc., etc., and similar in every major city in the world.

The guy who says "no" has a life too, maybe he's on his way to the depot to return his cab and you want to go in the opposite direction, maybe he knows the traffic is horrendous where you want to go, or maybe he has to pick up his kids from school.

Do you really think that a guy who doesn't want to run his life around your so so important needs or refuses to pick up drunken farangs on Sukhumvit should be arrested?

Chill out, look up the road, there are fifty more cabs coming.

Well said Dimple Joe absolutely agree with you.

It's only a matter of seconds before another one comes along.

[Italiantony]

By the time the cabby is "arrested, the passenger(s) will be long gone, and even though they may have complained, will receive no feed back. The cabby and the arresting policeman will no doubt come to some mutually agreeable arrangement (if it ever gets that far)

The only fair way is for the complaining passenger to receive compensation.

Nick don't you think compensation maybe just a little extravagant.

After all it must be an horrendous job to be involved in.

[Prakhonchai Nick]

By the time the cabby is "arrested, the passenger(s) will be long gone, and even though they may have complained, will receive no feed back. The cabby and the arresting policeman will no doubt come to some mutually agreeable arrangement (if it ever gets that far)

The only fair way is for the complaining passenger to receive compensation.

Nick don't you think compensation maybe just a little extravagant.

After all it must be an horrendous job to be involved in.

I agree entirely with Dimple Joe, that a taxi driver should have the right to choose who to take. I like DJ's analogies!

The point I was making is that if a taxi driver is arrested as a result of a complaint from a prospective passenger, and is fined, then surely the complainant  should receive some benefit  for upholding the law.

If the system is adopted from September 1, then the only people likely to benefit are the arresting police.

[Nobby]

Yet another Government directive that will never work or be monitored/policed fairly

[Alan]

Just wondering how much does it cost the discruntled padestrian to get the police to carry out this service?

The government have targeted motorbike and car Taxi drivers in the media alot this year and I asume its all lip service to please the tourist industry.
Considering its also been reported that most of these drivers in Bangkok are victims of corruption and have to pay Thai mafia (we know who they are) fees to work an area then maybe this might also offer another reason why they might not take a fare from one particular destination or deliver to another.
dimply joe is right, chill out as another is available in a nano second. You would also have to be bonkers to upset a taxi driver and insist or threaten with police action to get a ride. If he took you it would be a very expensive white knuckle ride for sure!   

[urleft]

IMHO taxi drivers have every right to choose which fares they accept, just like a hooker can choose who she goes with and a bar can choose who to serve drinks to.

It's a pain sometimes I know, but it's not only a Bangkok problem, in London you get "South of the river guv - not at this time of night" etc., etc., and similar in every major city in the world.

The guy who says "no" has a life too, maybe he's on his way to the depot to return his cab and you want to go in the opposite direction, maybe he knows the traffic is horrendous where you want to go, or maybe he has to pick up his kids from school.

Do you really think that a guy who doesn't want to run his life around your so so important needs or refuses to pick up drunken farangs on Sukhumvit should be arrested?

Chill out, look up the road, there are fifty more cabs coming.

Well said Dimple Joe absolutely agree with you.

It's only a matter of seconds before another one comes along.

I mostly agree with you.  However when the taxi refuses to turn on the meter and wants 4 times the cost, there is a problem.

If they don't want a fare, they should not turn on the "available" sign. 

[Admin]

It will be very hard to enforce but usually a Taxi that refuse to take you to your destination will offer an alternative location (usually BTS), you need to understand some hours it is irrational to take a passenger through a road where the taxi KNOW the traffic is very heavy. I usually happy to take a Taxi just to the nearest BTS, it save moneyt and its much faster if you need to cross the city from one side to the other.
It did happend to me once I stuck with no Taxi want to take me because floodings in Bangkok, it was horrible, I had to run in the rain when it was flooding and when I got a Taxi willing to take me, after about half km he got his Taxi floor flooded with water and he wasn't happy at all, but at least we sit inside the car........

[binnsy]

Have had this experiance where a meter taxi will only take you if they dont switch on the meter several time from a hotel in Soi 11 to the NCA depot to get the bus back to Buriram.They want 300 and on the meter it 120 to 130 Baht.
But one comes along within 5 minutes who is willing to take you.

[Admin]

Have had this experiance where a meter taxi will only take you if they dont switch on the meter several time from a hotel in Soi 11 to the NCA depot to get the bus back to Buriram.They want 300 and on the meter it 120 to 130 Baht.
But one comes along within 5 minutes who is willing to take you.

Good point about the trip to NCA.

Tip:
If you are in the middle of Bangkok, short with time and far from MO CHIT area (The location of NCA bus from Bangkok to Buriram), take the BTS to MO CHIT station and from there a motorbike/taximeter to NCA (Nakhon Chai Air) bus station.
Ask the Taxi to take you to the second floor where the cashier of NCA to buy a ticket (Left side) and from there go straight to the ground floor to take your bus to Buriram.

A better tip is to buy your ticket in advance on the phone, pay at any 7-11 branch to reserve your seat on the bus in advance!!
http://www.nca.co.th/