Thai government, standing fast against Uber, offers taxi app 

Thailand’s government is cracking down on private car-hailing services such as Uber and plans to introduce its own taxi app to appease passengers.

Thai transport officials said yesterday that services using private vehicles to transport passengers, such as Uber or Southeast Asia’s GrabCar, are illegal because the vehicles aren’t registered for public transport.

Thai authorities have threatened repeatedly to shut down private car ride-sharing services, and recently have cracked down by fining individual drivers.

Services using smartphone apps that call licensed taxis — such as GrabTaxi, part of the same company that operates GrabCar — are legal.

The government plans to introduce its own cellphone app, TAXI OK, for passengers to call government-endorsed taxis featuring GPS tracking systems and closed-circuit cameras. It will also have an up-market variation called TAXI VIP.

“With this project, we’re improving taxi standards by building trust, confidence, and safety,” said Sanit Promwong, director-general of the Department of Land Transportation.

Most transport apps in Thailand allow users to call both taxis and private vehicles. The only exception is Uber, whose Thai operations rely solely on private vehicles.

Uber issued a statement saying it would continue to seek to have ridesharing legalized, saying it believes “it is time to amend the existing legal framework to accommodate this much needed new technology and realize the full benefits it is bringing to riders, drivers and cities.” AP