![Laughing :lol:](./images/smilies/icon_lol.gif)
Airport taxis to change lanes
Taxi stands to move to arrivals on 2nd floor
AMORNRAT MAHITTHIROOK
Suvarnabhumi airport is preparing to relocate public taxi stands to the second floor of the main airport building, on the same floor as the arrivals terminal, pushing out influential private limousine operators. Suvarnabhumi airport director Serirat Prasutanond said yesterday that taxi stands would move up from the frontal road on the first floor of the passenger terminal to the second floor after the Songkran festival ends on April 17.
Passengers arriving at the airport exit from immigration and customs checks on the second floor of the airport building.
Mr Serirat said the new system was in line with the original plans set out for transport services at the airport.
''I am not concerned about what was arranged before I took office, but the current objective is to solve problems systematically by focusing on providing the most convenience for passengers by returning to the original plan,'' said Mr Serirat who, took up his position in February.
''This may affect some groups but it must be understood for the sake of problem solving.''
Buses will also be allowed to pick up passengers from the frontal road on the second floor instead of waiting at the remote bus terminal located away from the main terminal building.
Limousine services and vehicles of hotel associations and group tour operators will be relocated from the second floor down to the first floor.
Mr Serirat said the change was aimed at providing the most convenience to the majority of passengers. Limousine services are only used by a limited group of passengers, he said.
He also said the illegal but influential groups of limousine service providers were cashing in at Suvarnabhumi and that airport authorities had been catching up to 250 illegal limousine operators every day.
Passengers have complained about the difficulties of finding the public taxi stands at the new airport, prompting officials to put more signs to direct passengers from the arrivals hall.
But the measures had not been enough to quell the complaints.
Aphaluck Bhatiasevi, a civil servant who often uses the airport, said that the lack of signs had meant that in the past, she had been duped into using expensive taxi services on the second floor.
She said putting the taxis on the first floor was inconvenient for arriving passengers carrying luggage, and complained of a lack of elevators which meant long queues often formed within the terminal building for people wanting to get to the waiting taxis on the first floor.
Another frequent user of the airport, actor Karunpon Tieansuwan, said that all he ever saw after coming through immigration were signs for limousine services and the loud and brash attempts of their staff trying to coax him into using their services.
''I don't understand why illegal taxi and limousine services are allowed to solicit passengers wanting to go to the city even though there are police and security guards standing right in front of them,'' he said.
According to a source at Airports of Thailand (AoT), former AoT chairman Srisook Chandrangsu had changed the public transport floor plan a few weeks before Suvarnabhumi airport opened on Sept 28 last year.
The changed was criticised for favouring limousine operators who charge 700-1,500 baht for destinations within Bangkok and at least 2,500 baht for other destinations.