Harsher penalties for belligerent taxi drivers who are not fair with the fare

Theerapong Rodprasert, director-general of the department, said serious meter violations or failure to ensure the safety of passengers would result in suspension or withdrawal of the driver’s license, even for the first offence. 

As for minor violations, Theerapong said the department would apply penalties in three stages: the first offence would result in a Bt1,000 fine and drivers would be required to attend an attitude adjustment course; the second offence would result in a Bt1,000 fine, plus a one-month suspension of the driver’s licence; and the third offence would result in a Bt1,000 fine, plus a one-year suspension. 

Drivers who commit three offences within 30 days would have their license revoked immediately, he added.

Under the harsher measures, the agency has so far suspended 120 taxi licences, and two drivers have had their licenses revoked.

On Wednesday, the department punished three taxi drivers. Two were punished for charging Japanese passengers more than their meter-based fares and the other for abandoning his passengers in a highway. 

The three drivers, all of whom picked up their passengers at Suvarnabhumi Airport, were slapped with fines and 30-day suspension of their driver’s licences.

Meanwhile, 34 taxi drivers who irrationally turned down passengers were arrested and fined by tourist police on patrol at Bangkok’s Sukhumvit Soi 3 to Sukhumvit Soi 5 on Wednesday night. Taxi drivers who refuse to transport prospective passengers without appropriate reasons are considered to have violated the Land Traffic Act 1979. 

Police Colonel Atchayon Kraithong, deputy commander of the Tourist Police, said the operation was in line with the government’s tourism promotion policy, which declared 2015 as the year of Discover Thainess and the Asean Economic Community.