The Department of Land Transport has given the green light to legalise ride-hailing apps such as GrabCar and Bolt in Thailand. Thai Visa

REUTERS FILE PHOTO for reference only

 

The Department of Land Transport has given the green light to legalise ride-hailing apps such as GrabCar and Bolt in Thailand.

 

Up until now, services such as GrabCar, despite being prominent and operating freely, have technically been illegal, with the drivers not formally recognised by law. 

 

However, a new draft ministerial regulation, which is set to be formally approved within the next month, states that personal vehicles equipped with no more than seven seats can now be used for ride hailing services.

 

Once formally approved, companies which provide ride-hailing services will be able to apply for licenses to operate legally, Ryt 9 reported. 

 

For drivers, this means that they can use their private vehicle as a taxi. 

 

However, in order to be granted a license they will need a driving license and must pass a criminal background check. They will also only be able to operate for ride hailing services that are registered with the Department of Transport.

 

Any private car can be used, providing it has no more than seven seats and is not more than 9 years old. Vehicles are also required to have a communication and GPS system fitted. 

 

Vehicles are divided into three categories: Small, such as Honda City or Nissan March, Medium: such as Honda Civic or Toyota Altis and Large: Toyota Fortuner or Honda Accord.

 

Fares for small and medium vehicles are capped at 50 baht for the first two kilometres and no more than 12 baht per kilometre thereafter.

 

For large vehicles, fares are capped at 200 baht for the  first two kilometres and no more than 50 baht per kilometer for thereafter.

 

Charges for stationary vehicles range from 3 baht to 10 baht per minute for small and large vehicles respectively.