Fare Hike: About 100 taxi drivers are planning to mass at the Transport Ministry next month to demand an increase in the fare structure and a ban on Grab and other foreign ride-hailing services.
Worapol Kaemkhunthod, president of a professional taxi drivers association, said the protest would culminate with a four-point petition being submitted to Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith.
He said the cabbies first wanted the fare charged while the taxi is not in motion increased from Bt2 to Bt3 per minute to cover a rise in fuel costs.
Worapol believes the rate increase would encourage taxi drivers to accept all passengers even on congested routes.
Grab is currently the only service using private cars in Thailand. Uber withdrew its service earlier this year.
Third, the taxi drivers want the government to cancel a plan that would allow a foreign firm to invest in an electric-vehicle taxi service, which they regard as detrimental to Thai taxi businesses.
And they want the ministry to subsidise an association project by which members can buy the taxis they drive through daily Bt600 instalments over five years.
