Shoppers looking to avoid chatty drivers or dead phones can take a ride with a new taxi service equipped with privacy partitions, charging stations and Wi-Fi plying Bangkok’s high-end malls.
Asia Cab Co. yesterday rolled out 30 royal blue taxis inspired by London cabs to shopping malls owned by The Mall Group as part of a pilot program. Commuters can look for Cabb taxis at counters on the ground floors of the group’s seven malls, which include Emporium, Emquatier as well as The Mall Ramkhamhaeng and Bang Kapi.
CEO Somsak Dararattanarojna said all Cabb cars are Thai-made on the capital’s outskirts and were designed to mimic the classic design of London’s TX4 cabs.
Asia Cab’s AS4 model includes a partition between passengers and driver, who communicate via an intercom. The temperature can be separately adjusted on both sides. It is wheelchair-accessible and comes equipped with five leather seats and many interior handles. There are USB charging stations and Wi-Fi available for free during the trip. For the safety-conscious, there’s an internal CCTV, an SOS emergency button and GPS tracker.
All the features come at a price: Fares start at THB60 and run THB6 to THB8 per kilometer depending on time of day. Extra of THB50 is charged from the meter if going to airports. Cash is not accepted. Cabs can also be booked via 02-026-8888, and the company plans to release an app.
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