DLT to raise Taxi fares in December; wants service improvements

The Department of Land Transport is preparing to raise the fare rate for taxis this December, calling on business owners and taxi drivers to talk about the new regulations.

The DLT Director General Teerapong Rodprasert said that the department today invited business owners and taxi drivers to inform them about government guidelines for taxi vehicles and service improvements before adjusting to the new fare.

The DLT will increase the fare in two phases. First, the fare rate will be raised by 13 percent this December. The new rate will increase the fare by 7-8 percent when the taxi is moving, and raise the fare for stationary vehicles (parked or in a traffic jam) from 1.50 baht to 2 baht. The starting fare will remain the same at 35 baht.

Meantime, every taxi vehicle must pass an inspection by the the DLT. The Department will then issue a certificate of vehicle condition to be used when bringing the car for an adjustment of the pricing meter. Taxi with an adjusted meter will display an advisory sticker from the DLT.

For the second phase, the DLT will evaluate the service of Taxis. Drivers are required to have a Taxi driving license, be dressed properly, never refuse to accept any passenger, and always use the meter.

The DLT Director General said that the adjustments are due to the higher cost of operation that is acceptable for the passengers, Taxi business owners, and private Taxi drivers.

The new price has taken into consideration many factors such as the driver’s wage, the cost or rent of the vehicle, fuel price, maintenance price, and other related costs. The new price will drive the market mechanism and improve the service. There are currently about 100,000 taxis registered with the DLT, said the Director General.

NNT

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