The most common complaint about Bangkok taxi drivers is…
Bangkok dwellers are not happy with the city’s taxi drivers.
Since new taxi fares came into effect on January 16, there have been over 2,000 passenger complaints about taxi drivers in Bangkok, with the biggest proportion of them concerning cabbies’ rejection of passengers, according to the Land Transport Department.
Of the 2,120 complaints, 720 concerned cabbies’ rejection of passengers, 455 concerned impolite behaviour towards passengers, 358 were for reckless driving, 237 for not using meter, and 221 were about malfunctioning meter, Thai PBS reported yesterday.
The Land Transport Department now has its hands full with the complaints coming in. The department has already responded to 1,650 complaints and has taken legal action in 479 cases.
Since the new fares came into effect, 34,812 taxis have had their meter adjusted,
This news comes as cabbies across Thailand are being scorned, showing that Bangkok is not the only Thai city with a problem in this area.
Earlier this month, it was reported that Thailand’s taxi services had received a poor rating in a recent survey conducted by the Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT), with foreign tourists slamming the country’s taxis for overpriced fares and shoddy service.
The survey, which was conducted on 200 foreign tourists during the final quarter of 2022, showed a rating of just 3.5 out of 5 for taxi services in the country. One tourist said…
“Drivers would only agree to provide service at an agreed price without using the meter, resulting in tourists having to pay more money.”
TCT President Chamnan Srisawat has advised the government to work with private taxi companies to offer transport services that guarantee equal fares using the meter. If these new services become popular, traditional taxis will face competition, leading to better service and fairer treatment for all taxi customers.
The TCT also suggested the government allocate more budget to tourist destinations for public works, such as better waste management and environmental preservation. The TCT suggested that capacity restrictions be implemented to reduce overcrowding and provide guests with a better experience at tourist attractions.
