Be sure to vote in our current poll about improving Phuket traffic infrastructure, link here.
They complained that the Kata songtaew operators are picking up passengers between Chalong Circle and Phuket Town, and in the other direction, stealing their business.
The Chalong-Phuket operators said that the Kata-Karon operators, who share with them the road between Chalong Circle and Phuket Town, have broken an agreement on the picking up and dropping off passengers on that part of the route.
Mayor Samran said the Chalong-Phuket songtaew operators had also complained to the Land Transportation Office (PLTO) and Chalong police.
Somchay Kongsomrit of the Phuket Songtaew Service Club, which has the concession for the Chalong-Phuket Town route, said that in the past it was agreed that the Kata operators could pick up passengers who wanted to go to Kata or Phuket Town at one designated area, in front of the Kmart convenience store near Chalong Circle.
This had worked well for both groups, he said, but recently the Kata-Karon operators had increased their drop-off points southbound to four more spots on the road from Phuket Town to Chalong – at the Darasamut intersection near Central Festival, at the Dibuk Clinic, at Wat Chalong and at Lotus in Chalong.
Worse, he said, they were also now picking up passengers in those places, and in both directions.
This, he said, breaks the existing agreement that they may only drop passengers off, only at those four places, and only when travelling south.
“The Phuket Town-Chalong operators have no passengers left because the Kata operators have failed to stick to the agreement,” Mr Somchay said.
The Kata operators replied that they were simply providing a service the customers want.
Their spokesman said, “We stop and pick up passengers because they want us to. Some passengers tell us when they get in the vehicle that they want to go to Kata and then they change their minds, so we have to stop wherever they want to get off.”
Mr Samran said after the meeting with the two sides that a PLTO committee will examine the situation but in the meantime he wanted both parties to follow the original agreement.
This is that, on their way south from Phuket Town the Kata-Karon operators may only drop off passengers at the five points; they may not pick up passengers until they get to the Kmart shop in Chalong.
Going north they may not stop for drop-off or pick-up between Chalong Circle K-Mart and Phuket Town.
They must also tell passengers boarding at K-Mart or Phuket Town that they will not stop in between.