Taxis to be installed with devices in bid to boost safety and service
All taxis will soon be required to install safety devices as part of the “Taxi OK and Taxi VIP” campaign aimed at overhauling the taxi industry and increasing passenger safety.
The new regulations under the campaign require taxi operators to install a GPS Tracking device to monitor speed, a CCTV camera, an emergency button, and a digital monitor in their taxis for safety reasons.
Details of the drivers and their vehicles will be linked to the Department of Land Transport GPS centre and their operators’ data systems for monitoring.
A mobile application “DLT Taxi OK” will also be launched soon to prevent taxi drivers from refusing service to passengers or not using the fare meter. The officials are expecting the application to improve the overall quality of Thai taxi services.
Permanent secretary at the Transport Ministry Chartchai Tipsunave told a seminar held on Friday that he expects the ministry to implement these measures by the end of the year.
Under the campaign, new taxi drivers and operators will be required to install all the prerequisite devices while current taxi drivers and operators will be asked to join the campaign voluntarily.
Taxi operators whose licences are set to expire in a couple of years will be exempted from the measures, he added.
Witoon Neawpanich, president of the Taxi Cooperatives Network, said taxi drivers are willing to comply with the new regulations. However, he voiced concerns over the installation costs, which could be as high as Bt20,000.