BANGKOK: Siripong Angkasakulkiat, Deputy Transport Minister, chaired a meeting to raise standards for app-based ride-hailing services in preparation for stricter law enforcement from next Thursday (Oct 1).
Sorapong Paitoonphong, Director-General of the Department of Land Transport, attended with representatives of eight app service providers: Grab, Bolt, inDrive, TADA, MAXIM, LINE MAN, Lalamove and FINGOGO.
Siripong said the Ministry of Transport was prioritising higher standards for app-based ride-hailing services so the public would receive convenient, safe, high-quality and verifiable services, while promoting fair competition under the same rules.
This followed a declaration of intent to cooperate by the eight app-based ride-hailing service providers on June 29.
Since then, there has been a clear increase in drivers entering the system legally.
The number of new public car driving licences rose from a monthly average of 2,915 to 8,839, while public motorcycle driving licences increased from a monthly average of 2,271 to 9,383, more than three times the previous average.
Siripong said this showed that the cooperation had produced tangible results.
However, the Ministry of Transport will step up law enforcement.
From next Thursday (Oct 1), the tougher enforcement will cover app service providers, drivers and vehicles used for services.
Anyone who violates the rules will face legal action, with penalties varying according to the offence and potentially including imprisonment, a fine, or both.
The ministry will also introduce an “App report card” as a key tool to systematically regulate and monitor the operations of app service providers.
It will record and track violations or failures to comply with stipulated conditions, such as assigning jobs to drivers without public driving licences or to vehicles that are not properly registered.
The measure is intended to ensure each platform takes responsibility for checking drivers and vehicles before admitting them to its service system.
The measure will allow the government to continuously monitor the performance of each app and use the results to support legal and administrative action according to the level of violation, ranging from warnings and service suspensions to revocation of app certification in cases of continued violations or failure to take corrective action.
The ministry will also coordinate with the Electronic Transactions Development Agency (ETDA) and the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society to take further action within their respective mandates.
Sorapong Paitoonphong, Director-General of the Department of Land Transport, said that before stricter enforcement takes effect, the department had provided full assistance to enable both vehicles and drivers to enter the system legally, particularly by facilitating applications for public driving licences.
This included extending licensing service hours on a special basis and coordinating with app service providers to arrange group appointments for drivers to apply for licences, allowing them to enter the system legally before stricter enforcement begins on Thursday (October 1, 2026).
“The Department of Land Transport is ready to provide full assistance so everyone has an opportunity to enter the system legally. But from October 1, services must strictly comply with the law and the same standards, so the public can be confident that every vehicle and every driver providing services is legally compliant, safe and verifiable.”
The measures are aimed at giving the public confidence that they will receive safe, high-quality and verifiable services, while strengthening the responsibility of app service providers to ensure that vehicles and drivers in their systems comply with the law and promoting fair and transparent business competition under the same rules and standards. - The Nation/ANN
