Some 300 members of Thailand’s transportation cooperative network have filed a petition with the ACM or Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry seeking help on the issue of high energy prices.
Siam Taxi Co-Operative leader Witoon Naewpanich sent a letter to Agriculture Deputy Minister Nattawut Saikua expressing the stand of his organization, which represents around 75,000 taxis. He explained that about 300 taxi operator companies are suffering because of the increasing costs of fuel over the past months. Witoon also voiced his sentiments about the department’s decision to abstain from raising co-op taxi fares until the end of 2012, even though LPG and NGV prices have been going through the roof to avoid affecting passengers.
Instead of increasing taxi fares, the Siam Taxi Co-Operative is petitioning the ACM to work with the Transport Ministry and Energy Ministry on three objectives:
1. Allow for an extension of vehicle usage for Taxi operators, increasing its transport life from nine to twelve years in order to maximize profits and lower taxi rental fees.
2. Prevent 1,300cc eco cars from being registered as taxis, stating that it is their belief that small vehicles are not capable of providing efficient passenger services.
3. A fund assistance of THB20 million. This is to be extracted from government financial institutes geared to provide taxi drivers to organize their own co-ops and allow for a more efficient management of member debt for co-op members who have no access to other government benefits.
For his part, Deputy Minister Nattawut responded positively to the petition, saying he will relay the co-operative’s request on his next meeting with the Transport and Energy Ministry following the weekly cabinet meeting.
Nattawut also urged taxi drivers and operators to support the “One Taxi, One Smile” project which urges drivers to improve customer service by providing passengers with a friendly smile. This project is set to launch next Monday.
In a related news, Deputy Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Nattawut will be working as a cab driver from 12 noon until 3 pm on Sunday, August 26th as a fund raising effort to support the taxi co-operative foundation, MCOT reported.
Click here for the Coconuts feature on Bangkok town’s taxi troubles.
