Truck drivers in Thailand protesting the planned NGV (natural gas for vehicles) price hike eventually dispersed from the streets around Vibhavadi-Rangsit Road yesterday evening.
Groups of transport operators said they were satisfied with the government's promise to set up a committee to decide the best long-term solution to the problem.Meanwhile, protesting taxi drivers dispersed from the roads around Government House and the Royal Plaza at around 12.30pm.
Earlier, the Cabinet had allowed the price of NGV to rise by 50 satang (cent) a kg per month, which would in effect increase the price from 8.50 baht (US$.26) currently to 14.50 baht ($.45) by the end of the year.
Logistics and transport service providers point out that the total cost of NGV, including maintenance, would be more than 27 baht ($.85) per kilo if the government allowed an incremental rise to Bt14 in the price of the fuel. "When compared with diesel prices, the gap between NGV and diesel is 30 per cent.
If the maintenance cost is included, the gap will be narrowed to only 10 per cent," said Chumpol Saichuer, secretary general of the Land Transport Federation of Thailand.
Truck-driving protesters yesterday used their vehicles to block the frontage road on the outbound section of Vibhavadi-Rangsit, starting from the Lat Phrao intersection, after their demand that the government cancel plans to increase the price of NGV was not met.
The protest in front of the Energy Ministry on Vibhavadi-Rangsit Road from early in the morning brought traffic at the busy intersection to a virtual standstill. The protesters used 96 trucks, 55 private buses and two pickups to block two lanes of the road.
Earlier, Yu Jiayuenyongpong, chief adviser of the Central Transport Association of Thailand, said members would also block three major NGV distribution stations in Nam Phong district of Khon Khen, Pathum Thani's Sam Khok district, and Saraburi.
Privately owned buses will cease service from 4pm today.Chatchai Phu-aree, chairman of the association of truck operators, said the NGV price increase would affect members of the public and the government should not allow PTT to monopolise the sale of the gas.
Meanwhile, taxi drivers agreed to disperse after their representatives informed them of the result of a meeting with government representatives.However, many of them drove straight to join the truck drivers’ protest on Vibhavadi-Rangsit Road.
Supalatorn Yothi, a taxi representative who was present at the negotiations, said agreement had been reached up to a point.
Earlier in the day, some 500 taxi drivers parked their vehicles around Government House and at the Royal Plaza to protest against the NGV hike.Their leaders accused the government of raising the NGV price when farmers and the poor were suffering from the devastating flooding."We are sorry to have voted for the Pheu Thai Party. The increase is like betraying our votes for you, Pheu Thai," said one of the leaders.
At 9.30am, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra asked for a meeting between Deputy PM and Commerce Minister Kittiratt Na-Ranong, Energy Minister Pichai Naripthaphan and PTT president Pailin Chuchottaworn to discuss ways to resolve the protest.
She said in the afternoon that a solution had been found, with the government having reconsidered the price increases and deciding instead on a monthly 50-satang increase for just four months, instead of until the end of the year.A committee would also be established to consider a long-term solution to the problem.
The PM asked that the four-month solution be accepted and that after that, further discussions would take place with the participation of all concerned parties.
