BANGKOK — Military officers raided a motorcycle taxi stand near Mo Chit BTS Station today following complaints about taxi drivers charging extortionate fares.
Col. Songwit Nunbhakdi, commander of 11th Infantry Division, led the operation as part of the military junta's campaign to ensure fair motorcycle taxi prices for the public.
Drivers from the Mo Chit motorcycle taxi win [stand] are notorious for aggressively touting their services and extorting customers – behavior that Col. Songwit vowed to eradicate in a meeting with representatives from the win today.
Last week, two drivers from the motorcycle taxi win were arrested for allegedly charging a woman more than 900 baht to bring her and a one piece of luggage home. It’s rare for a motorcycle taxi ride to cost more than 100 baht.
"The service to the people has to be appropriate," Col. Songwit said at today’s meeting. "They cannot mob or threaten the customers. The customers have the right to choose the services [they prefer]."
To crackdown on these practices, Col. Songwit has asked the BTS staff to install CCTV cameras in the area. Soldiers will also be stationed around the station "everyday" to ensure that no illegal actions take place, the colonel added.
Security officers did not make any arrests during their raid on the motorcycle taxi win today.
Since staging the coup against the elected government on 22 May, the ruling National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) has launched a number of programs aimed at improving the standard of public transportation, presumably to win support of the population.
Read more:
Army Cracks Down On 'Extortionate' Motorcycle Taxis
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