National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) deputy spokeswoman Col Sirichan Ngathong said that the 5th Administrative Reform Steering Commission’s meeting on Wednesday tabled the “Taxi OK and Taxi VIP” project to regulate the public transport system. The project is a collaboration between the DLT, the Cooperative Promotion Department and the Royal Thai Army’s 11th Military Circle.

The commission, headed by Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan, concluded that the DLT would issue and enforce a regulation to require taxis under the “Taxi OK and Taxi VIP” project and newly registered cabs to carry a GPS, a driver identification card reader, a wide-angle camera within the cab and an emergency button.

Sirichan said that, if the draft law passed the Council of State’s current consideration, it would be implemented as a ministerial regulation by September.

At least 80,000 taxis would meet these standards, and the equipment requirement would give the Thai public an alternative with an edge in fare-cheating prevention and passenger safety. These taxis would be an option for people to use beside the conventional taxis and those hailed via taxi service applications.

She said the new system would be operated by the taxi co-operatives, which would be supervised by the state agency.