This is due to warnings from taxi drivers in Kata and Karon that they will block roads and possibly use violence to stop the service, which they view as a threat to their livelihood.
The decision to start the new service was made at a meeting this afternoon (June 11) at the Phuket Land Transport Office (PLTO), chaired by Vice-Governor Jamroen Thippayapongthada.
Opinions voiced at the meeting showed that impatience from a wide section of society with the opposition to just about everything displayed by the island’s taxi drivers.
V/Gov Jamroen was plainly sick of the delays, and of constant obstruction of provincial plans by people who think only in selfish terms. “I think that society is now sick, Phuket is sick.” He also wanted “good people” to stand up and be counted. “Phuket society is corrupt because good people stand by and do nothing.”
So the bus will go to Patong. As to the section of the service between Patong and Kata via Karon, a public hearing is to be held soon – the date has yet to be fixed – probably at Phuket Rajabhat University.
Peerapong Polpramoon, President of the Phuket Press Club, urged officials to invite as broad a section of society as possible to the hearing.
“We should invite people from every section of society in equal proportion instead of only groups who think they stand to lose from the plan. We have laws to cover [opposition] and this [bus service] is a good project for the public as a whole.”
Krissada Tansakul, Vice-President of Phuket Tourist Association, said, “I agree with this [bus service] idea and it will be good if we can do it fast.
“Why do we have to bow to them [taxi drivers] when we have laws and regulations ready to be enforced. The administration has a duty to take care of it. It’s not hard to do.”
He suggested opening up the service to bids from other companies apart from the one that won the contract to run it, whose identity has so far been kept secret.
“Is it possible to [re]open the bidding for the bus line? For example, in Patong we have many entrepreneurs such as Pisona; would it be possible for them to take part of the bidding? If yes, they will be a good buffer, instead of just a single company getting the concession.”
(Pisona is the business vehicle of Phrap Keesin, son of Patong Mayor Pian Keesin, who recently agreed that the bus could stop in one place in Patong. Mr Phrap is also chairman of the Phuket Taxi Federation, which groups a large percentage of Patong’s tuk-tuks.)
The bus service also received support in today’s meeting from representatives of hotel associations, the tourism industry and the Phuket Chamber of Commerce.
“The conclusions of today’s meeting will be brought up in the Provincial Meeting and I think we should be able to launch the service from the Airport to Patong within this month,” said Jaturong Kaewkasi of the PLTO.
The latest plan is for the bus service to run 16 times a day between 6am and 9pm. The buses have the capacity to seat 24 people.