Taxi fares set to increase

Chairat Sa-nguansue, acting director-general of the Land Transport Department, yesterday said Songsak would weigh two options.

One would be to keep the charge for the first two kilometres at the current Bt35 but raise the subsequent rates by 50 satang to Bt1 per kilometre, depending on the distance travelled. The other option would be to increase flag fall to Bt40 but raise the subsequent rates by a flat 50 satang per kilometre.

Songsak said he would discuss the fare hikes with Transport Minister Santi Prompat before issuing ministerial regulations enforcing them.

"The average per-trip fare would go up between Bt12 and Bt14," Songsak said.

With their fares frozen since 1996, taxi drivers are asking for an increase now because fuel prices keep rising.

Vitoon Naewpanich, chairman of a taxi cooperative, was pleased with the two options even though the operators had asked for a 20-per-cent increase by having flag fall raised to Bt40 and the subsequent rate to Bt1 per kilometre.

"We need the hike, because fuel becomes more costly while the cost of the car is up to Bt700,000, from Bt400,000 a few years ago."

All sectors of the transport industry are raising their over oil prices.

The Supreme Court yesterday lifted the Central Administrative Court's injunction against imposing a surcharge of 3 satang per kilometre on interprovincial coach fares. Bus operators will start levying the surcharge today, worth 40-180 per cent of bus fares.

Lorry operators threatened to storm the capital if the government failed to respond to their requests for relief from fuel costs by next Tuesday.

About 50 lorries were parked at Bang Na-Trat Road, Km 3. More from the North, Northeast, South and Eastern Seaboard also seized the main arteries in their regions: the Asia, Friendship and Phetkasem highways and Rama II and Laem Chabang roads.

"Without any action by June 17, we will invade Bangkok," said Land Transport Federation secretary-general Thongyu Kongkhan.

The federation came up with a three-point proposal. Chiefly, lorries must enjoy part of the government's cheap-diesel programme and be entitled to low-interest loans for converting their engines to natural gas for vehicles.

"The problem is oil prices are moving constantly," Songsak said. "If we tackle this part, will the overall problem end? A supply of cheap diesel is only a temporary solution."