Thailand allows private cars with public-vehicle licenses for taxi services

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Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob said the cabinet has recently approved a draft regulation to allow people to register their personal cars for commercial use while only cars with maximum capacity of seven people would be eligible for registration.

The Cabinet has approved a draft regulation, proposed by the Transport Ministry, to allow people to register their personal cars for commercial use.

Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob explained that only cars with maximum capacity of seven people would be eligible for registration. The Department of Land Transport plans to spend about a month drafting an announcement governing how the new regulation is to be implemented, then hold a public hearing on the issue and, ultimately, have the regulation published in the Royal Gazette.



He said, following publication, companies owning taxi-hailing apps are permitted to apply for licenses to operate the new service. Drivers will be required to obtain a public transport driving license, pass a criminal background check by the Royal Thai Police and only use hailing apps certified by the department.

Currently, taxi drivers are required to have a public-vehicle license, but many drivers in the online ride-hailing business only have a personal license. The ministerial regulation aims to close this loophole and legalize all cars operating in the online ride-hailing sector. (NNT)


Companies owning taxi-hailing apps are permitted to apply for licenses to operate the new service, Saksayam said.