A commuter talks to a taxi driver before boarding the cab. The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board in Central Visayas (LTFRB-7) warns that there should be no such instances where passengers have to haggle for rides from taxi drivers as the law strictly prohibits them from refusing passengers or overcharging them. Commuters are strongly advised to take down the body numbers of the taxis driven by erring drivers.
CDN FILE PHOTO
With the influx of commuters this holiday season, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board in Central Visayas (LTFRB-7) reminds taxi drivers not to overcharge or refuse passengers.
LTFRB-7 director Ahmed Cuizon, said that taxi drivers must, instead, be courteous at all times.
“We are reminding taxi drivers to be courteous to their passengers and to avoid violations like overcharging, contracting and refusal to convey,” said Cuizon adding that sanctions will be imposed upon drivers caught with any of these violations.
“We will impose penalties of varying amounts ranging from P2, 000 to P5, 000. Repeated offenses could mean suspension or cancellation of an operator’s franchise,” he added.
Under the agency’s Joint Administrative Order (JAO) 2014-01, the driver who will refuse to render service or convey passengers to their destination will face a fine of P5, 000 for the first offense; P10, 000 for the second offense with impounding of the unit for 30 days.
For third and subsequent offenses, the violator’s Certificate of Public Convenience (CPC) will be cancelled along with a penalty of P15, 000.
Taxi drivers who overcharge passengers will also be meted the same punishment of P5, 000 for the first offense.
Cuizon also advised taxi drivers to keep their units clean.
“They should also keep their taxi units clean and in good condition at all times,” Cuizon said.
LTFRB-7 will soon issue special permits to accommodate the huge volume of passengers expected in the coming days.
“We expect applications to start coming in by next week, in time for the Christmas rush,” he said.
Passengers who have experienced abuses from drivers may call LTFRB- 7’s hotline number (032) 231 6221, or send a message via email through ltfrb7@yahoo.com to report the incident.
“The best Christmas gift that they can give to their passengers is good service. So they must observe proper rules and procedures of taxi operations at all times,” Cuizon said.