Many have become quite used to the convenience of using BOLT to go from place to place. Unfortunately, now there are problems:
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Dozens of Pattaya Bolt drivers arrested for not having public transport driving licenses
By Tanakorn Panyadee
November 25, 2022
Pattaya Traffic Police collaborated with the Chonburi Department of Land Transport to arrest and fine dozens of Bolt drivers who did not have public transport driving licenses to pick up customers.
The crackdown on illegal Bolt drivers happened yesterday evening, November 24th, in front of the Central Pattaya shopping mall in Pattaya, Chonburi. Traffic police randomly inspected private cars that pulled over at the mall and picked up people.
According to police, most drivers could not produce their public transport driving licenses required by Thai law to pick up and transport passengers. The majority of them also used private vehicles to pick up customers, which also contravened the law, because they must have had their vehicles registered for public transport service first.
The illegal drivers were given fine tickets of 2,000 baht, traffic police said. The officers told them to pay the fine at the Department of Land Transportation offices in their areas.
Bolt and other public transport service companies said they needed quite a while to have all their partner drivers registered and have previously fought the regulations unsuccessfully.
https://thepattayanews.com/2022/11/25/% ... -licenses/
Problems for BOLT drivers
- Gaybutton
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Re: Problems for BOLT drivers
I used BOLT two days ago … took 9 minutes for the driver to arrive … 4 minutes for the return trip driver to arrive … usually 3-4 minutes. Would hate to see BOLT die in Pattaya.
- Gaybutton
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Re: Problems for BOLT drivers
I doubt that will happen. When the Bolt drivers understand that they are going to have to actually comply with the law, I think you will see many of them doing it. I, for one, would not want to be in a car or a passenger on a motorbike if the licensing and paperwork is not in compliance with the law. In case of an accident the insurance company wouldn't have to pay (assuming the driver even had any insurance). I suppose you could sue the driver, for all the good that would do you. Once you win the case, and who knows how long that would take, would you expect to actually end up collecting a single baht?
Then there is the question of fairness to legitimate taxi and motorbike drivers. Bolt is already giving them plenty of competition. Not very fair if a significant portion of that competition consists of drivers who have no legal right to be carrying paying passengers in the first place.
As far as I know the Bolt drivers had this dumped on them suddenly, without prior warning. If that is correct, I believe they should have been given a grace period to come into compliance. Either way, if I am a paying passenger, I want my driver to already be in compliance.
As long as there is money to be made, I'm certain Bolt will still be available, even if there are fewer drivers. Maybe you might have to wait a few minutes longer for your ride to show up. So what?