Grab woos drivers of motorcycle taxis

Grab woos drivers of motorcycle taxis

Ride-sharing firm Grab has introduced a 1,000-baht incentive for each yellow-plated motorcycle taxi driver who joins its network, following angry protests from registered drivers demanding white-plated bikes be banned from taking passengers.

From now until June 30, motorcycle taxis who complete at least 14 trips within one week of joining the service will receive 1,000 baht, the company's country head Tarin Thaniyavarn said at a press conference Tuesday.

"We have introduced the incentive campaign to encourage motorcycle taxis to give our services a try," he said. "It costs nothing to register or leave the app's operations."

According to him, Grab Thailand does not have enough motorcycle taxi drivers who have public vehicle driving licences registered in its network. This is why Grab has had to use bikes with private licences to pick up and drop off passengers who use its services, he added.

The Department of Land Transport (DLT) currently issues separate, yellow-plated driving licences for service vehicles who operate under state-regulated fares. White licence plates are given to privately owned cars, which are prohibited from servicing passengers under Thai law.

Mr Tarin said past conflicts between the firm and motorcycle taxis have likely been due to "misunderstandings" about how the company works.

"While our service involves hailing the bike [or car] located closest to the passenger, public motorcycle taxis will naturally get notified through our network first whenever a passenger calls for a Grab Bike," Mr Tarin said.

"But due to the lack of public bikes registered with us, the jobs often fall to private bikes, which have primarily been employed to operate the company's delivery service."

Grab Bike Delivery is normally used by customers to deliver food, drink or other items from place to place. They are not required to have public driving licences as they do not provide taxi services.

Mr Tarin said that once a request for a ride is received, the app first links the passenger to the nearest licenced motorcycle taxi drivers. However, if no yellow-plated riders are near, it then notifies private riders.

The emergence of ride-sharing apps in Thailand has resulted in vehement opposition from public taxis, many of whom claim their livelihoods are being threatened by a business that is, as of now, operating illegally.

The app, however, has become a popular choice for many passengers, particularly for motorcycle taxi services. Several users of Grab Bike have reported cheaper, more consistent fares compared to the streetside "Win" registered motorcycles, who occasionally overcharge for what are supposed to be standardised fares.

Last Thursday, Bangkok motorcycle taxi drivers held a protest in front of Grab's headquarters on New Phetchaburi road demanding the firm stop using private motorcycles to service passengers within 15 days.

The company has not agreed to cease this part of its services.

The Thailand Development Research Institute is conducting a study on how ride-sharing services can be legalised in Thailand, under instructions from the DLT.

Do you like the content of this article?
COMMENT