In "Go-Jek: on the go in Jakarta" (2016), Sarah Porter says that Nadiem Makarim, the Harvard Business School graduate and the CEO of Go-Jek, have invented the motorcycle taxi company to solve traffic jams on many roads in Jakarta. firstly, he operated from a small apartment with a few motorbike taxi drivers in 2011. Unfortunately, his company confronted several problems such as competing with other companies like Uber, Grab and local taxi companies; moreover, some local taxi drivers againsted Go-Jek and some riders of Go-Jek were hurt during the demonstrations of local taxi companies. Although his company faced a few problems, especially in the beginning of business, in 2014, that was the first time that he started working for the company full-time as Singapore-based NSI Ventures, the financial backer, invested in Go-Jek. Furthermore, in 2015, Go-Jek launched the application and presently, eleven million people have downloaded this app.
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My Yes/No question is:
Have you ever used motorcycle taxi services?
My answer is:
Yes, I have.
When I was child, my mother warned me not to use motorbike taxi because it was quite dangerous. Actually, you can see lots of news talking about accidents on roads, particularly motorcycles. my mother said that many motorbike taxi drivers tended to violate the traffic law such as running a red line as well as driving on the wrong side of the road. most of acts that violate the traffic law may cause damage to you and other people (may be injured or dead!). Therefore, that was why I didn't ride pillion on a motorcycle taxi until I studied in grade 12.
I guess when you read my response until this paragraph, you might doubt why I used these service when studied in grade 12 (Mathayom 6). Surely, I had to prepare for examination to be admitted by famous universities. at first, after I had left my school, I went to Sup'k Center, the tutoring school on Naradhiwas Rajanagarindra Road, by the BTS skytrain and then I arrived to this place at 4.30 pm. I went to there by BTS skytrain until three months before the GAT/PAT examination, I realized that I had to find other ways that spent time less than BTS skytrain to go to the tutoring school, otherwise I wouldn't have enough time to peruse lots of books in many subjects. Therefore, at that time, I decided to use motorcycle taxi services. Of course, I could come to Sup'k Center at 4.00 pm. That made me very happy. Consequently, at that time until finished all tests to be admitted in university, I used these services frequently and drivers remembered me where I wanted to go. Ridiculously, motorbike taxi riders didn't have to ask me where I desired to go. Luckily, they discounted fares to me from 40 to 35 baht.
I definitely tells readers that riding pillion on a motorcycle taxi is one of the most important things that enable me to be admitted in the university. To be honest, I was not sure that I had told my mother before I changed to use motorbike services. Indeed, I like using taxi services instead of motorcycle services because sitting in a taxi makes me feel comfortable: having broad seats, air conditioners and space where I can put something in. What's more, sitting on a seat in a taxi is safer than that on a motorbike. Regarding expenses, if you want to go to another place located near your place, I suggest you to use motorbike services. Nevertheless, if you go to some places that more far away than four kilometers, I recommend you to sit in a taxi, for the expenses between them almost equal; sometimes using motorcycle services is more expensive than the other.
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Reference
I have never used a Bangkok motorcycle taxi, and am not about to start. But Chan gives good reasons for his decision, and that's not a problem: adult human beings are not incompetent, mentally retarded children, so we should expect that we well make different personal decisions, and just law will respect those different decisions.
ReplyDeleteFor me, the risk and exciting danger outweighs the benefits, so I never use motorcycle taxis; if my situation were different, I might. But it would be wrong to force my decisions on Chan by having the government make some law to reduce his freedom to make personal choices, just as it is unjust to ban Uber and other services that increase healthy competition.
For the same reasons that we must respect Chan's right to take risky motorcycles, laws that require wearing seatbelts must be unjust (although perhaps acceptable for children before they become responsible human persons), along with laws that criminalize unhealthy behaviour such as drug use.
Nor do I see any agreement with relativism in my comments here: quite the opposite, in fact.
I often use motorcycle taxis to travel from BRT to my house. Even it's not that far, I can't stand such an extremely hot weather and strong sunshine. Hence, I walk only in the evening, with no sunshine.
ReplyDeleteI don't really like the drivers, since they're sometimes impolite, for instance, they will drive for us only where they want, they over-raise the fare, and they drive too fast and rude.
if your home doesn't far away from the BRT, I suggest you to park your bicycle under the BRT Thanan Chan station. Hence, you are able to save your money instead of paying for a motorcycle taxi. Indeed, you aren't afraid that your bike might lose as a result of stealing because there are several motorbike taxi drivers stay there.
DeleteAnd as I was having my morning shower, it occurred to me that the same reasons that tell us that Chan's right to decide to use a motorcycle taxi or not must also show that laws banning smoking in restaurants and on other private property are morally wrong.
ReplyDeleteThese anti-smoking laws fail to respect the right of adults to choose how they live and needlessly interfere in free markets which would, if allowed to function, provide smoking and non-smoking venues so that adults could freely choose whether they wanted to have filthy cigarette smoke with their food or to opt instead for smoke-free atmosphere, rather than having a morally warped government dictating what everyone must do to enforce the wrong opinions of some, perhaps a large majority, on everyone.
I don't expect the relativists among our group to argue that the laws banning smoking are good and that I'm wrong to think otherwise; they already think I'm right that the laws are unjust and should be abolished.
DeleteBut the minority of non-relativists might think I'm wrong and have some support to persuade me to correct my wrong opinion. Of course, the other possibility is that all of the non-relativists already agree with me that laws banning smoking violate good morals.
Yes, i used to use motorcycle to travel from place to place. Even when i was in school I used to use a motorcycle from my school to my house, which is a very long ride.
ReplyDeleteYour comment permits me to want to be able to ride a motorcycle. Perhaps, next month, I will practise riding it. I thank your comment that reminds me.
DeleteI don't really like motorbike taxi but I sometimes use it because it is the only way to go from MRT to my home or I have to walk a kilometer.
ReplyDeleteYes. In BKK, I use motorcycle taxi to go to MRT or BTS from my place when there is a traffic jam. However, in Vietnam i have my own motorcycle, and it is really convenience if you have your own motorcycle in Vietnam. You can drive to everywhere you want to, because in Vietnam the transportation is limited and the road is small so the best way to travel is by motorcycle. Motorcycle taxi is a good business in Vietnam as well.
ReplyDeleteYes, I sometimes use motorcycle services but I only use motorcycle service to travel from BTS station to my home which is not far. It takes about 2 mins to travel. I like to use motorcycle because it is so fast and it is cheaper than taxi service. I pay only 10 baht when I use motorcycle service when I go back home from the bts station.
ReplyDeleteFrankly speaking, I am really scared of the possible accidents and related dangerous risks of motorcycle taxi service in Thailand; however, I am still a pillion passenger of motorcycle taxi.
ReplyDeleteThe reason why I keep using the service is to save my time from the terrible traffic jam in the modern city like Bangkok. Do you think it is worth doing like that to save time if there are still many risks and danger of using Thailand’s motorcycle taxi service?
The problems and accidents of such a service often results from either the motorbike driver’s behavior or other drivers’ behavior such bus drivers, private cars’ drivers and so forth.
Apart from me, a lot of foreigners I knew told me similarly that the most dreadful thing to do in Thailand, particularly for Bangkok is to take a motorbike taxi. Surprisingly enough, this service has been once reported in the article—I forgot its name and source—as one of the 50 dangerous things of the world.
Presently, I tend to use other kinds of public transportation instead like a bus or BTS.
I think Feem is right. It isn't the motorcycle riders who worry me, since I'm sure that they want to avoid accidents that would harm themselves, it's the other people on the roads who I think are a threat. But some motorcyclists are also reckless - a few years ago, my taxi had stopped to let me out, and when I opened the door, it was almost torn off by a motorcycle taxi rider hoping to zoom past. Fortunately, he did't have a passenger, and he didn't rip my arm off.
DeleteAnd then he thought I should pay him for the damage to his bike! I didn't. I was in strategically strong position because I could walk away, but also, I had stopped opposite the office of my lawyer, with whom I had an appointment, and when his office staff saw what had happened, he came over to explain to the reckless motorcyclist that any payment would be in the opposite direction.
I was glad I was injured. It confirmed that the benefits of using motorcycles were outweighed by the risks for me, although I'm happy to let other adults make different decisions, and I've been much more careful to check before opening the doors of taxis.
My preferred modes of getting around in Bangkok are, in order from most preferred: foot (I live where I do so that I can walk to many places I go), BTS / MRTA, which are excellent outside of peak hours, and taxis.
Oops - in the 3rd paragraph, I mean I was glad that I was not injured. This is what happens when you write in a hurry and don't proofread before clicking "Publish."
DeleteNo, I rarely use its service. Except my parents warning, I have found it's too dangerous for me, furthermore I'm so tired of the price negotiation. Once the policy has come to mandate them to show the price clearly on the huge board, still there is some exception that need the negotiation. No, the price is for the nearer area even the place is the same. Or something like that.
ReplyDeleteI feel nervous all the time on the motorbike. I can not lean the back. And you need to sit properly to avoid from scratching the other vehicle when he does a lot of zia-zag between the gap of them. Then, drag you in front of the traffic light and the others vehicle in the very long line of traffic jam. Even you think you can conquer and make your own destiny among the world famous Bangkok's traffic jam. I don't think it's worth to trade with the risk.
No, I rarely use its service. Except my parents warning, I have found it's too dangerous for me, furthermore I'm so tired of the price negotiation. Once the policy has come to mandate them to show the price clearly on the huge board, still there is some exception that need the negotiation. No, the price is for the nearer area even the place is the same. Or something like that.
ReplyDeleteI feel nervous all the time on the motorbike. I can not lean the back. And you need to sit properly to avoid from scratching the other vehicle when he does a lot of zia-zag between the gap of them. Then, drag you in front of the traffic light and the others vehicle in the very long line of traffic jam. Even you think you can conquer and make your own destiny among the world famous Bangkok's traffic jam. I don't think it's worth to trade with the risk.