[sustran] Re: Information on 'Bike Taxi'

[Jonathan E. D. Richmond]

Yesterday I took a total of five motorbike taxis in Bangkok. Here's how
it happened and why. I started off on a 39 bus headed for central Bangkok.
We passed through Rangsit at around 2:30 and I thought I'd switch to the
14:37 train. So I got off the bus where a bunch of bikes were parked and
had one run me down to the train station.

Bad luck -- I just missed the train which was very unusually on time.

I walked a couple of minutes back to the main road and flagged down a 510,
which I rode to Central/Ladprao, where I switched painfiully to the
subway. I say painfully because it is hard enough to find your way from
the bus stop into the mall; then you have to exit onto another street,
walk down the road then up onto an overpass, then down to the street and
into the subway.

Took the subway to Silom station.

Now, I was going to the Sofitel which is by Chong Nansi station. But that
latter station is on the Skytrain and the Skytrain is not integrated with
the subway. To get from the subway to the Skytrain at Silom you have to go
up, exit the faregate, walk down the street, enter the Skytrain
station, and purchase a ticket and so on. Far too laborious to go one
station.

So I just hopped on a motorbike waiting outside and rode to the Sofitel in
about two or three minutes.

It was 7:40 when I wanted to come home and there is a train from Hua
Lom Pong at 20:10. Actually, as I was to discover, the 20:00 train,
indicated as not stopping at Rangsit in the timetable, does in fact
do so (there is no single timetable published of all trains between Hua
Lom Pong and Rangsit. There is a local timetable which excludes expresses.
There are two separate express timetables which need to be consulted to
get the complete picture, and there are errors in those!)

I immediately found a motorbike, (the drivers hang about
in all the right places: you can generally get one instantly) and was
taken to Hua Lom Pong -- one of my favourite buildings in
Bangkok; it reaqlly is a temple to transportation). I arrived at 19:50.
The ticket office sold me a ticket for the next available train, the
20:00.

The first few cars of the train were incredibly full, as well as without
air conditioning: real pits. There were quite a few foreigners with
baggage in there as the train also stops at the airport. They were
covered in sweat and not looking happy.

I continued walking up the platform and found a car with both air
conditioning and reclining seats. It was pretty empty. I set my seat on
maximum recline and relaxed. A ticket inspector tut-tutted and pointed me
back to the hell holes, but I indicated I would rather pay whatever was
necessary and stay where I was. He told me that was an extra 20 baht (ie.
double the 3rd class fare, which was also 20 baht, about US 50c) and that
was completely fine with me. In fact, I am sure all the people on the way
to the airport would also have been delighted to pay an extra 20 baht for
this comfort (but I was happy that they didn't as I had more space!). Of
course, the ticket office had suggested to neither them nor I that extra
comfort was available for a minimal cost.

At Rangsit station I wanted a (normal) taxi to take me home, but there
were none. Motorbikes were hanging about, however, so I had one take me
to the songtao stop (songtaos are pickup trucks with little passenger
cabins on the back). When we got there, a songtao was waiting to leave,
packed out with people hanging precariously out the back. I'm not insane
enough to try that, so I forced my way into the aisle, and the vehicle
lurched forward.

I got off at the Thammasat University stop. Motorbikes are not allowed on
my campus at AIT, but they can go down the side and stop at a back
entrance near where I live. Sure enough, bikes were waiting at the stop,
so I hopped on one and went home.

This is all a roundabout way of saying that motorbike taxis are an
excellent way to fight congestion (because they weave through the traffic)
and get you where you are going quickly in Bangkok. Because they are just
about everywhere, waiting time is insignificant. They are certainly not
for everyone, however, as you have to hang on for your life and preferably
try not to look at all the vehicles you race past with perhaps only an
inch or so to spare. Make no mistake: these drivers race as if they are in
the Grand Prix and your stomache gets turned upside down.

If Bangkok were not congested, if public transport were well-coordinated
as well as ubiquitous, the bikes, which are of course a source of
pollution, might not be nearly so important. Still, the suburban blocks
are huge and it is simply not viable for public transport to penetrate to
all points, so I can see bikes providing an important source of mobility
for those without cars under any circumstances.

                                                     --Jonathan


On Mon, 23 Aug 2004, Anil K. Raut wrote:

> Hello Paul:
>
> Yes, I know there are some confusions regarding my question. I was meant to the 'two-wheeler taxis' common in Bangkok. I am wondering, could these motor-bike taxis play some role in congested streets. I have seen mostly the occupancy of the regular taxi is only one person. If we could divert these customers to the motor-bike taxis, we could avoid congestion as well as the reduce the fuel consumption and also save time (fast riding).
>
> In case of Kathmandu, there is sharp rise in motor-bike number (private) for last some years and I guess this is because of the some of these positive points of motor-bike & cost of course. BUT, I am supporter of the 'mass-transport'. So I am not saying only these motor-bike taxis would be solution, but we could explore its share on public transportation.
>
> Any thoughts??
>
> Regards,
>
> Anil
> ----------------------------
> Anil K. Raut
> P. O. Box 8846
> Kathmandu, NEPAL
> E-mail: ankraut at wlink.com.np; anil at environmentnepal.com.np
> Tel: 977-1-4232761 (Res.)/977-9841233941 (Mobile)
>
>   ----- Original Message -----
>   From: Paul Barter
>   To: Asia and the Pacific sustainable transport
>   Sent: Monday, August 23, 2004 7:41 AM
>   Subject: [sustran] Re: Information on 'Bike Taxi'
>
>
>   In the responses to this question I wonder if there is some confusion
>   over what Anil meant? Maybe Anil can clarify to avoid further confusion.
>   Various answers seem to be refering to one of the following:
>
>   A.  bicycle taxis (where a paying passenger sits on a seat behind the
>   rider and which I have seen in the Kota district of Jakarta for example,
>   and read about in Uganda);
>
>   B.  pedicabs (three-wheeled pedalled vehicles as taxis, also called
>   cycle rickshaws, becak and many other names. Variations exist in many
>   countries, especially in Asia)
>
>   or
>   C.  Motorcycle taxis (which are common in Bangkok, in many Indonesian
>   cities and towns, where they are called 'ojek', and probably elsewhere.)
>   I think this is probably what Anil meant, given his reference to
>   Bangkok?)
>
>   Paul
>
>   --------
>   Anil K. Raut" <ankraut at wlink.com.np> wrote:
>   "Could anyone help me finding out information on 'Bike Taxi'? I have
>   seen it in Bangkok. Are there other cities using it? What are the
>   environmental benefit/cost of these bike taxies?"
>

-----

Jonathan E. D. Richmond                               02 524-5510 (office)
Visiting Fellow                               Intl.: 662 524-5510
Transportation Engineering program
School of Civil Engineering, Room N260B               02 524-8257 (home)
Asian Institute of Technology                 Intl.: 662 524-8257
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Thailand                                      Intl:  662 524-5509

e-mail: richmond at ait.ac.th               Secretary:  Ms. Nisarat Hansuksa
        richmond at alum.mit.edu		              02 524-6051
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