Earlier this night on Pattaya Beach in Chon Buri province, eastern Thailand, police broke up a 70-man confrontation between Bolt and Win motorbike taxi drivers.Around 70 motorbike Win and Bolt drivers were gathering on Pattaya Beach, across from Soi 6, in the Nong Prue subdistrict, Bang Lamung district, it was reported to the superintendent of Pattaya City Police Station, Pol. Lt. Col. Surachet Aneksri, at 12.30 a.m. today.
Police arrived at the location. The orange jacketed “Win” drivers, who originated as motorbike taxis in Thailand, contend that Pattaya’s Bolt drivers are engaged in unlawful business. The drivers claimed that they assembled in order to attract the attention of the appropriate organizations.
The Win drivers presented the police with documents from their earlier complaints to various agencies outlining their worries about Bolt’s activities in Thailand.Although they were unable to resolve the issue immediately, police were able to stop the confrontation from getting violent, as it had in the past, by telling the Win drivers that they would look into their claims.
Both parties agreed to separate and refrain from fighting after Superintendent Surachet warned that the event would damage Pattaya’s reputation as a tourist destination. To hear their worries, police brought a group of Win representatives to the police station. Bolt was not legalized in Thailand when ride-hailing applications were legalized a few years ago. Only six motorbike taxi ridehailing apps, including Hello Phuket Service, Bonku, Asia Cab, Robinhood, Grab, and AirAsia Superapp, have received the DLT’s certification as safe and legal, according to a study released three weeks ago by the Department of Land Transport (DLT).
The list implies that the well-known ride hailing app Bolt, which frequently offers lower prices, is not a secure and authorized choice. Three Win drivers suffered injuries in January after allegedly being attacked with a baseball bat and an iron rod by Bolt drivers near Jomtien Beach in Pattaya. Two Bolt drivers were attacked in Pattaya the previous week.
