PLTO meets with taxis from outside Phuket over crackdown
The Phuket Land Transport Office (PLTO) and the Phuket Provincial Police have recently held discussions with a group of taxi drivers and tour operators from outside of Phuket who have been banned from working on the island. The talks were focused on finding a solution to the continual problem of green plate taxi operators facing difficulties, including arrests and bans while operating in Phuket.
PLTO Chief Adcha Buachan confirmed that there weren’t many of these outside taxis coming into Phuket, but the PLTO would still evaluate ways to allow them to operate legally within existing laws.
The representatives of the group brought up the issue of police setting up checkpoints and making arrests, but felt unclear as to why they were being targeted. They added that the laws were not clearly defined and that the PLTO officers were unable to identify which law the taxi drivers had broken by entering Phuket.
The PLTO gave the group of taxi drivers one month to gather and submit any additional documents and evidence to support their claims. He added that the sooner these materials could be provided, the better.
The discussions aimed to find a satisfactory outcome for all parties involved.
The group of taxi drivers had previously petitioned a Seri Ruam Thai Party representative asking for party leader Pol Gen Sereepisuth Temeeyaves to help in resolving the issue in Phuket. Pol Gen Sereepisuth, a former Commissioner of the Royal Thai Police and the current Chairman of the House Anti-Corruption and Misconduct Committee, has been requested to step in and assist in finding a solution.
The crackdown on illegal or semi-legal taxi drivers in Phuket – those operating outside their jurisdiction or with cars that are not properly registered for example – comes in the wake of widespread inspections and campaigns to curb illegal taxi problems. The PLTO had run major social media campaigns warning against illegal taxi operations and had acted on many complaints filed.
On Wednesday, the PLTO and Sakhu Police apprehended four more drivers for illegally operating their vehicles as taxis in Phuket. The joint operation took place at a checkpoint set up at the Sakhu-Nai Yang intersection on Thepkrasattri Rd in Mai Khao
Then on Thursday, authorities turned their attention to a new target: foreigners using personal rental cars as taxis. In response to numerous complaints, Phuket officials launched an investigation into reports of foreign tourists acting as illegal taxi drivers.
