Transport office silence prompts legal threats

PHUKET: A private company hoping to set up the island’s first metered taxi service announced today that it plans to sue the Phuket Provincial Public Transportation Office (PPTO) for failing to reply to its request to register a vehicle. Tawatchai Meeniam, managing director of Phuket Metered Taxi Service Co, said, “We contacted the office 15 days ago about registering our taxi. “The officer promised to give us an answer by yesterday, but we did not receive any answer, nor was I able to contact the chief of the PPTO. “So we plan to sue the office for limiting our freedom to operate a business, which infringes the provisions of section 50 of the constitution,” K. Tawatchai said. The Gazette tried to contact PPTO Chief Prasit Amrapal for comment, but was told that he would be out of the office until Monday. No other PPTO official was willing to respond. The company’s first yellow-and-blue car is already in Phuket waiting for registration. If the first taxi gets registered, the company plans to operate at least 10 taxis in the first year. Taxis will charge 30 baht for the first two kilometers and four baht for each additional kilometer. Regarding the possible conflict with the island’s existing tuk-tuk and motorcycles taxi drivers, K. Tawatchai said, “If they want to become our staff, they are welcome. In September last year, a handbill distributed by Phuket Metered Taxi Service announcing its plans sparked a protest of more than 200 tuk-tuk drivers at the Governor’s office. K. Tawatchai said that he didn’t think it was necessary to contact any existing transport operator about the company’s plans, adding, “Competition should be supported in Phuket. “I think it’s a good thing to give people more choices, including the public bus service that will happen soon,” he added.