Pattaya motorbike taxi riders say new blue vests confuse passengers
Riders say the switch from orange to darker blue vests has made them harder to recognise, while officials intend the new design to help passengers identify registered drivers.
Motorbike taxi riders in Pattaya say a switch from familiar orange vests to darker blue ones has left some tourists and local residents unsure whether they are taxi operators, contributing to a fall in passengers.
The complaints follow a reorganisation of motorcycle taxi services in Bang Lamung district, Chonburi. The new vests are intended to give local services a distinctive appearance and make registered drivers easier to identify, but riders say passengers need time to recognise the change.
Riders report fewer passengers
Sompong, 51, told Khaosod English on Monday, 19 October, that the blue vests were less noticeable than the orange ones. Some potential customers were uncertain whether people wearing them were motorcycle taxi riders, and passenger numbers had fallen recently.
Sompong expected recognition to improve as people became accustomed to the new colour, but also pointed to competition from app-based services, particularly Bolt, as another challenge.
Wisit, 50, also reported an effect on business, while saying riders had to follow government agencies’ guidelines. Wisit attributed the decline in passengers partly to competition from ride-hailing apps.
The riders’ accounts therefore identify more than one pressure on their work. They do not establish how much of the reported fall in custom is due to the vest change rather than competition from other services.
New design includes identification details
The scheme was unveiled on 16 October at Alcazar Theatre on Pattaya Second Road, at an event attended by around 500 motorcycle taxi riders and officials, according to The Thaiger’s account of the launch.
Bang Lamung district chief Anusak Piriyamorn said blue had been chosen to reflect Pattaya’s identity as a coastal tourist destination and give its motorcycle taxi services a recognisable local appearance.
The approved design displays the rider’s motorcycle taxi stand location and includes a holder for an identification card, allowing passengers to check the rider’s details. Officials said it would also help distinguish locally registered riders from those coming from other areas, particularly during major events.
For residents and visitors accustomed to looking for orange vests, the change means blue is now being introduced as the local uniform. The stand information and identification-card holder are intended to provide information beyond the colour alone.
Part of a wider registration programme
The vest change forms part of broader measures covering driver registration, taxi stand locations and service standards. Officials reported 564 approved motorcycle taxi stands and 5,281 registered riders in Bang Lamung district, alongside rules for closing stands and removing riders from the register.
Anusak acknowledged earlier complaints involving some riders, including confrontations with passengers and poor service, and said the measures were intended to improve safety and compliance with transport regulations.
He also said riders were not required to buy their blue vests from a particular shop. They could purchase them or have them made wherever they chose, provided they met the approved design requirements.
The launch included briefings on transport rules and registration, followed by a parade along Pattaya Second Road to publicise the new colour. Riders’ subsequent comments suggest that passenger familiarity remains an immediate challenge as the uniform changes.
