‘Green plate’ taxis from outside Phuket fight back

A group of the affected taxi drivers gathered late yesterday (Feb 8) at Saphan Hin, where they handed a formal request to Seri Ruam Thai Party representative Anantarak Phethin.

The request calls for party leader Pol Gen (Rtd) Sereepisuth Temeeyaves to help resolve the issue. Mr Sereepisuth, a former Commissioner of the Royal Thai Police, is also currently Chairman of the House Anti-Corruption and Misconduct Committee.

Presenting the formal request on behalf of the aggrieved taxi drivers was Mr Thiraphat (family name withheld). Present to observe the proceedings were Kornpitak Assuwan, head of the PLTO’s  Transportation Academic Group (or ‘Policy Division’), and officers from the Phuket City Police.

The letter explained that legally registered taxi drivers from Bangkok and other provinces were being arrested by PLTO officials for working illegally in Phuket.

However, the charges are unclear. The PLTO officers have been unable to clearly identify which law the taxi drivers had broken.

“They cannot clarify how we have broken the law,” Mr Thiraphat said.

Meanwhile, the PLTO is refusing people to legally registere a single vehicle as a green plate taxi so they can work as fully legal independent taxi drivers.

At the same time, the PLTO is allowing registered juristic persons ‒ that is, companies and legally registered organisations, such as cooperatives and associations, Mr Thiraphat said.

“If an individual wants to apply for a service vehicle registration ‒ that is, as a ‘green-plat’ taxi ‒ Phuket [transport] provincial officials require that it must be a registered company and must request permission from the TAT [Tourism Authority of Thailand], and they require other documents which are very complicated,” Mr Thirapaht explained.

“The process takes a lot of money, and makes it impossible for ordinary citizens to do so,” he said.

“The reason given is to control the number of cars in order to reduce traffic congestion, but they still allow companies to apply for vehicle registration services [green-plate taxis] in Phuket as usual,” he added.

This forces ordinary people to have to register their taxis in other provinces that are still open for registration… We have to do this because we want to work legally,” he said

Mr Thiraphat pointed out that many of the drivers had gone into debt in order to buy their taxis, and many were still under finance.

He also argued that there not enough taxis registered in Phuket to serve the market.

“May the Land Transportation Director be sympathetic and find a solution for green-plate taxis registered in Bangkok and other provinces be allowed to work in the Phuket area and actually have a career,” Mr Thiraphat said.

At last report the PLTO was to meet with the drivers to discuss the issue today (Feb 9).