Call for transport reforms

Tourism would be the biggest beneficiary

- MOLPASORN SHOOWONG

Tourism operators are urging the government to crack down on taxi scams and provide reasonable public transport fares, as another negative image of Thai tourism has emerged in the form of a study carried out by Mastercard Economics Institute, which includes Bangkok among the cities that possess the highest rates of taxi and car rental fraud.

Last week, the Thai Public Taxi Association protested against ride-hailing services. Their gripe is that tourists are now allowed to access ride-hailing services at dedicated pick-up points at Thai airports that allow the use of transport providers like Grab, aligning with an existing regulation applied to regional airports, including Phuket.

Rangsiman Kingkaew, president of the Tourism Council of Phuket, said incidents concerning excessive taxi fares and car rental charges have eased since the government allowed app-based ride-hailing services to serve passengers at the airport.