Pattay taxi drivers have been told to start using their meters. They have a counteroffer.
Hauled in front of city authorities last Thursday over repeated complaints about refusing to use their meters, taxi drivers in the resort city say they plan to propose a new starting rate of THB100, almost three times that charged in Bangkok.
Three main Pattaya taxi networks came up with the new flag fall at a hacks-only meeting yesterday, and emerged saying they believe THB100 (up from THB40) is a fair rate that will satisfy all parties, according to Pattaya News.
The cabbies will submit the new fare for local transport authorities for consideration at a meeting scheduled for Thursday, saying they can’t financially survive with the current starting rate and that they believe tourists and citizens alike can afford the hike.
Those who have stepped foot in the sin city knows that Pattaya taxi drivers NEVER use meters and usually quotes a far of between THB200 to THB300 for a 10-minute ride.
The issue was first publicly addressed last Thursday, following multiple complaints about drivers’ refusals to turn on meter, Sanook reported.
In response, unrepentant taxi operators said that they have to resort to demanding fixed prices — though it is against the law — in order to keep up with the cost of living in the ever-growing tourist hub.
The operators also claim that the increased price will be an incentive for drivers to improve their service standard. Uh huh.
Meanwhile, there has been no plan to increase Bangkok taxi’s starting fee, which, admittedly, are probably too low given the traffic (not that we’re complaining). To put it in perspective, last year’s report by the Telegraph revealed that Bangkok is, on average, the second-cheapest city in the world to take a cab.
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