Grab Thailand urges government assistance after service of private vehicles canceled

Grab Thailand is concerned about the effect on hundreds of thousands of GrabBike drivers and customers after the Department of Land Transport (DLT) has ordered the service cancelation of white license plate GrabBike riders as motorcycle taxi drivers.


Worachat Luxkanalode, Executive Director of Grab Thailand, told the Press that the company had sent out a notification of the latest announcement from the Department of Land Transport which only allows GrabBike motorcycle taxi drivers with yellow licenses plates (public transport licenses) to provide delivery and transport services. They are only allowed to accept customers and distances in the area registered with the Department of Land Transport and must charge the same fare rates as public motorcycle taxi drivers.


The company must remove their partners/drivers with personal vehicles or white license plates from the system within 30 days, starting June 16th. They can only be allowed to provide the services until July 15th, 2022, according to the notification.

Worachat continued that the sudden change of law has significantly affected more than 100,000 Grab partners and customers and became a viral topic on social media in the past few days. He urged the government to provide urgent remedies for bikers who must immediately and shockingly lose income to support their families as well as regular customers whose transportation choices have been minimized and affected their way of life.


“The company requested to meet with the Department of Land Transport to ask them to clarify a supportive approach and specific timeline to provide the remedy to those affected. We are ready to fully assist our drivers/partners in every step,” the Executive Director added.

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Grab bikers demand postponement of deadline for their regulation

Bikers on the app-based GrabBike motorcycle service rallied in front of the Ministry of Transport in Bangkok this afternoon (Thursday), to protest against the Land Transport Department’s order to cease providing their services by July 15th unless they comply with the department’s regulations, including the change of their license plates from white, for private transport, to yellow for public transport.


The department also seeks to limit the GrabBike service by prohibiting the bikers from crossing from one district into another with their passengers and ensuring that their service charges are the same as the ordinary taxi bikers, found on almost every street corner in Bangkok.


The group submitted a petition, addressed to Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob, asking him to postpone the July 15th deadline until the Land Transport Department has come up with new measures or a new law to recognise app-based motorcycle taxi services.


The bikers rejected the department’s requirement that they change to public transport licence plates, claiming that applying for a public transport driver’s license should suffice.


They also oppose the regulation that they operate intra-district, not inter-district with passengers.


Land Transport Department Deputy Director-General Seksom Akraphand, however, insisted that they want to regulate app-based bike services in accordance with public transport law.


He explained that the department does not have any vested interest in its attempts to regulate their services.


Southeast Asia’s leading ride-hailing platform, Grab, officially launched its GrabBike service in Bangkok in May 2017, after a successful trial.


Its service has been welcomed by many of Bangkok’s commuters as another option, instead of public buses and the metro, and even regular motorcycle taxis. The service is, however, opposed by the motorcycle taxi, who view the GrabBike service as a direct threat to their operations.

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