CityNews – The Songtaew Co-op pleads for a chance to improve their services.
Following the July 1st meeting between Nakhon Lanna Cooperative members, better known as the Songtaew Co-op, during which the co-op concluded that it would file a petition against the ride sharing legislation, Boonniem Boontha, the co-op’s president has since revealed that he is on a mission to improve the songtaew service.
Speaking for all members, Boonniem promised to improve drivers’ behaviour and will reduce the tension with Grab Cars. The co-op committee expressed concerns over the image of songtaews after continuous negative news reports and a backlash from the public.
The co-op pleads the public for compassion saying that songtaew has been “oppressed” since the arrival of the ridesharing service which “stole their revenue”. The resentment is caused by the feeling of unjust as songtaew drivers must follow a set of rules and regulations in order to become a songtaew driver, whereas anyone can become a Grab Car driver if they have a car. Members, he says, resent the fact that the ridesharing service can operate without having oversight and regulations.
Boonniem presented a plan to launch an application as a solution to the overpricing of songtaew. He said that the committee emphasised to all members that they must follow traffic rules and improve their service mindedness while also admitting that there were misbehaved drivers but said that they are only in the minority.
The co-op hopes to improve the image of songtaew which is the symbol of Chiang Mai, and says that negative news and views of the songtaew also damages the reputation of Chiang Mai as a whole, added Boonniem.
Related News: Songtaews will file a petition against the legalisation of ridesharing services