Prayut must slam brakes on ride-hailing monopoly

This new industry, made possible by innovative application of technology, is far superior to regulated taxis in many ways, but the sale of Uber to Grab in Thailand leaves the latter with a monopoly and the attendant excess profits, harming the riding public. As such, ride-hailing should be regulated.
The Land Transport Department has, time and again, proven to be utterly incompetent at providing the public with safe, inexpensive, fast public transport. It needs to be totally revamped, with a new director, so that licensed taxis can compete with ride-hailing cars in terms of safety equipment, driver expertise, lack of scams, etc.
Also, PM Prayut should first of all bring ride-hailing into a legal structure that protects consumers, for example by increasing insurance requirements to meet those of licensed taxis, by requiring 360-degree video monitoring and safety equipment. Secondly he should help ride-hailing companies – both home-grown apps and overseas services such as India’s Ola (which charges drivers only 7 per cent of revenues versus Grab’s 25 per cent) – to compete with Grab, perhaps by giving investment promotion. Thirdly, require ride-hailing drivers to obtain a public transportation licence, for a fee.
Use technology to benefit consumers, but regulate its usage.
Burin Kantabutra