Srettha vows to help taxi drivers if Pheu Thai helms Transport Ministry
Pheu Thai Party adviser Srettha Thavisin said on Friday that his party was ready to take charge of the Transport Ministry and rectify problems faced by taxi drivers that have gone unaddressed for a decade.
On Friday, representatives from taxi cooperatives came to the Pheu Thai headquarters in Bangkok to discuss topics like social welfare for drivers, minimum fare and the use of technology to their advantage.
They were welcomed by Srettha, the former top executive of giant real estate firm Sansiri before he entered politics.
Srettha explained that besides rising costs, taxi drivers nowadays struggled to compete with foreign taxi firms who have better technological advancement. Thai drivers could work up to 14 hours and merely make 200 baht in profit, which was insufficient for them, he added.
Pheu Thai needs to oversee the Transport Ministry so that a solid strategy can be developed to address the issue, he emphasised.
When asked what he would do if his party could not get the portfolio, Srettha said that Move Forward leader Pita Limjaroenrat, as the PM candidate of the party that garnered the most seats, would appoint someone else since every member of the coalition would prioritise solving people's problems.
He expressed his wish for the rapid formation of the new administration as well as for Pita to successfully sail through his current problems.
Pita is being investigated by the Election Commission for allegedly running for office while knowing he was ineligible since he owned media shares. It was reported that he possesses 42,000 shares of the media company iTV.
