Cabbies told: Don’t refuse, overcharge passengers

OPLAN ISNABERO INTENSIFIED

Don’t snub and overcharge your passengers, and don’t overload your taxicabs.”

This was the warning of Ahmed Cuizon, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board in Central Visayas (LTFRB-7) regional director to taxi drivers as the LTFRB-7 intensifies its Oplan Isnabero campaign to protect passengers against these kind of drivers especially amid the Christmas holiday rush.

Cuizon said that taxi drivers proven to have snubbed and overcharged passengers and overloaded their cabs would be fined. And for successive offenders, the certificate of public convenience would be canceled.

The Joint Administrative Order (JAO) 2014-01 states that a driver who will refuse to convey passengers to their destination will be fined P5,000 for the first offense; P10,000 for the second offense and the taxi unit will be impounded for 30 days; for the third offense, a fine of P15,000 will be imposed while for subsequent violations, the violator’s Certificate of Public Convenience will be canceled.

Cuizon said that they have partnered with different malls in implementing the program.

LTFRB-7 will be posting tarpaulins on different taxi waiting areas in malls, to remind the taxi drivers of possible charges that they would face, especially on refusing a passenger.

“We’ve launched Oplan Isnabero campaign last Friday to remind taxi drivers that overcharging, overloading, contracting a passenger and refuses to convey are prohibited and they can be sanctioned,” Cuizon said.

Cuizon revealed that as of this moment, they’d already installed a tarpaulin at Ayala Mall’s PUV’s terminal and waiting area for taxis.

He also urged the public to file a complaint against erring taxi drivers so that they can take necessary actions against the taxi driver.

The aggrieved passenger can call the LTFRB-7 hotline number (032) 231 6221, or send a message via email through [email protected] to report the incident.

Cuizon added that around 10 enforcers of LTFRB-7 would also be deployed to go around and conduct random inspections.

Aside from these violations, enforcers will also inspect proper signage, markings, plate number and body number, name of the operator and the capacity of the taxi unit.

This year, more than 70 public utility vehicles were apprehended by LTFRB-7, 10 of which are taxicabs.

When sought for comment, Ryan Yu, Cebu Integrated Transport Cooperative (Citrasco), said he welcomed the LTFRB-7’s Oplan Isnabero campaign but he called on the LTFRB to implement this campaign on a regular basis.

Yu said consistently implementing this campaign would remind those erring taxi drivers that they would have to follow the rules.

“We welcome it but hopefully mag sige na ni siya and dili ma-seasonal para atong mga driver mag matngon. Unya naay katungod ang LTFRB para mudakop. Kung mahimo lang gyud nila (We welcome it, but hopefully, they will implement this consistently and not on a seasonal basis so that the drivers will always be mindful of the law. Aside from that, the LTFRB also has the right to apprehend erring drivers, if they really would want to implement it),” said Yu in a phone interview on Monday.

Yu also said that any members of their cooperative, who would be sanctioned by the authorities, would be removed from the group.

“We will remove them especially that it will be proven that these operators have indeed erred, and there’s a campaign aimed to supplement it,” he said.

Yu also took the opportunity to remind taxi drivers to simply follow the rules in order to avoid unpleasant circumstances.

“Ang ato lang (in our part), we need to always follow the law, rules and regulations. It’s just that simple. Nothing more and nothing less,” he added.