No escape. Each and every corporations and businesses start to ask for increases of fares or prices.
Inflation, slowly but surely like a poison, continues to contaminate the whole economy.
Private bus companies (last week), state companies employees, civil servants, boats operators, fishermen… now the taxis drivers. Actually, they started last december (read here).
A coalition of metropolitan Bangkok taxi drivers has given the government 15 days to respond to their demand for minimum fare increase and other welfare measures.
Groups of taxi drivers met Sunday to decide their next move, following meetings with government ministers and agencies concerned.
Withoon Naewpanij said the groups have decided to call off their original plan to rally in front of the Transport Ministry on Monday and to give the government 15 days to come up with measures to address their plight.
Among key demands called by the taxi drivers was a demand that the authorities raise the minimum fare of 35 baht for the first two kilometres, unchanged for the last decade.
In addition, the drivers ask for the authorities to regulate public taxi services in a more systematic manner,including provision of welfare benefits.
Mr. Withoon said the expectations are for the government and agencies concerned to announce concrete measures for both the short term and the long term.
If their demands are not met, the groups plan to rally over 1,000 taxies to protest at the Transport Ministry, downsize services by 30 per cent, slowing speed to no more 40 kilometres per hour and keeping lights on during the day, he said (TNA)
What the government will do ? Three possibilities :
-postpone (again)
-accept the demands (but that will fuel inflation)
-… or subsidize (like for the bus companies last week, with a subsidy of 3 THB per liter of diesel)
UPDATE
Taxi fares will go up, but by how much will not be known for another two weeks.
An increase was agreed upon in principle at talks yesterday between transport officials and representatives of the drivers.
The new rate will be decided by a tripartite committee of representatives from the Land Transport Department, the Consumer Protection Board and taxi drivers. It will report back in 15 days.Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej on Sunday supported an increase, saying the 35 baht flagfall had not changed since meters were introduced in 1992.
The prime minister thinks fares should start at 39 baht, but drivers have demanded an overall 20% rise with the flagfall rising to 40 baht.
There are about 70,000 taxis in the capital, 85% fuelled by LPG and the rest by compressed natural gas, sold as NGV. (Bangkok Post)
Just accept their demand. Cause when pay with notes, they never have changes to give you back anyway…
Fall, you forgot the “trick” : each month, exchange a couple of 1000 THB bills for a stack of 20 THB bills… and voila !
This way, I’ve never had the problem of “no change”.
More seriously : if we think about it, and even without the current inflation problem, we have to aknowledge that taxi fares didn’t change for more than 10 years !
It’s not (fashion word) “sustainable”.
The gvt has already accepted the principle of a hike… We will have the details in 2 weeks.