Cabs on slippery slope

I refer to Jeff’s “Cab mafia malarkey” letter on July 14, where he highlighted the failure of the NCPO to put the taxi mafia in order.

While there currently exists much antagonism between the so-called taxi mafia and Uber drivers, note that not all members of the taxi workforce are part of the battle. Many are not members of companies, such as the yellow and green cabs. Whether the 140,000 taxi drivers in Bangkok own or lease a car, the fact of the matter is that life for drivers is actually harsh and the profit they earn is small. Meters were introduced in the 1990s, and since then only twice have minimum fares been increased. Most drivers come from poorer northeastern families.

At the same time, the services of taxis have long been a subject of infinite complaints, be it on a rainy day when drivers refuse passengers or in other situations. The needs of consumers in present-day society cannot be refused, and “disruptive technologies” like Uber are the new trend of innovative services that cater to the needs of consumers in a growing economy like ours.

The Thailand Institute of Justice Public Forum 2017 on Rule of Law and Sustainable Development held this week in Bangkok put on the table the notion that the introduction of innovative products and services leads to perspectives that reflect the incompatibility of laws, regulations, and government agencies’ policies that must adapt to changes resulting from disruptive technology. The concept of a regulatory sandbox can also be explored in Thailand, as it has also been accepted in and adopted by many countries in different contexts.

The social impact factor of this issue remains under-emphasised. The important point is that there is a need to reconcile disruptive technologies with the social cost of the change if taxis would eventually evolve. Uber is here and caters to the modern consumer, but if taxi companies and government regulations don’t improve services, we do not know where that would leave the drivers at the end of the day.

Now, let’s look beyond ourselves. For Bangkok elite tech-junkies, let us not be mesmerised only by the trendy convenience and ease of the modern smart phone applications used in calling for taxi services. In three years, Uber may not be here anymore.

Should Thai society be only consumerdriven, or are consumers to be society conscious as well?