BANGKOK, Nov 10 (TNA) – The Transport Ministry approved a fare rise for 80,000 taxis in Bangkok. The fare will start at 35 baht for small taxis and 40 baht for big ones and then climb up depending on traveled distances.
The approval happened after about 200 taxi drivers rallied at the ministry Wednesday morning. Later representatives from four associations of taxi drivers discussed the matter with Wirat Pimpanit, advisor to the transport minister, and Chirute Visalachitra, director-general of the Land Transport Department.
Mr Wirat asked taxi drivers to agree with a new fare structure prepared by a working group of relevant experts. The planned new fare rate would increase taxi drivers’ income fairly and limit impacts on general people, he said.
He promised the Land Transport Department would later study reasonable taxi fares.
Representatives from the taxi drivers’ associations then accepted the proposal from the authorities. The Transport Ministry will later issue a notice on the new taxi fare structure and taxi drivers can have their fare meters tuned accordingly.
Mr Chirute said the new fare structure proposed by his department and the Thailand Development Research Institute included the minimum fare of 35 baht for small taxis and 40 baht for big vehicles on the first kilometer of traveled distances.
Then the fare will be 6.5 baht per kilometer from the 2nd to 10th kilometer, 7 baht per kilometer from the 11th to 20th kilometer, 8 baht per kilometer from the 21th to 40th kilometer, 8.5 baht per kilometer from the 41th to 60th kilometer, 9 baht per kilometer from the 61th to 80th kilometer and 10.5 baht per kilometer from the 81th kilometer onwards.
In traffic congestion, the fare will be 3 baht per minute for all cabs on the condition that taxi speeds are lower than 6 kilometers per hour. (TNA)
