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BANGKOK - BANGKOK taxi drivers lined up on Thursday to change their meters, after winning permission to raise their fares for the first time in 16 years.
A typical cab ride will rise about 12 per cent. The base fare of 35 baht (S$1.42) remains the same, but the meter will tick higher more quickly, a Transportation Ministry official said.
'The new rate of taxi fares takes effect today,' the official said.
Taxis must have their meters updated at an official centre to prevent tampering, he added.
'Only taxis that have their meter recalibrated by certified companies will be able to charge their passengers the new rate,' he said.
Most taxis in Bangkok run on natural gas, sparing them most of the effects of rising petrol prices.
But with inflation at its highest level since the 1997 Asian financial crisis, taxi drivers had protested that rising prices were pinching their incomes as fares had been stagnant since 1992. -- AFP
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