Taxi fare rollback today; Group says order illegal

Effective today, taxi flag down rate is P30. (INQUIRER PHOTO)

Samuel Baclayon is ready for today’s implementation of the reduced taxicab fare.

He has no problem with the P10 rollback in the flag-down rate for taxicabs ordered by the Land Transportation Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB) last Friday.

But a transport cooperative is questioning the LTFRB even as they instructed their drivers to comply with the P30 flagdown rate.

“Let us also be fair to the passengers. Let them enjoy reduced fare while there is a movement of oil prices. The order is still temporary,” Baclayon told Cebu Daily News.

Baclayon has been a taxi driver for 20 years. He rents  the cab at P1,050  for 24-hours usage and spends around P1,000 for gas.

While he agrees with the provisional order by the LTFRB on the reduced taxi fare, Baclayon is worried worsening traffic congestion will negatively affect his daily income.

Illegal

Ryan Benjamin Yu, chairman of Cebu Integrated Transport Service Multi-purpose Cooperative (Citrasco) said they have already reminded their drivers to comply with the flag-down rate order.

“This will hold until we will be able to get relief either from the LTFRB or the courts,” Yu told CDN.

But he said the rollback may be illegal. “For the record, no written order was given by the LTFRB and that no publication yet of their order. Implementing it is by all means illegal,” Yu added.

The rollback order signed by lawyer Winston Ginez, LTFRB chairman, members Antonio Enrile Inton Jr.,  Ronaldo Corpus, and  Roberto Cabrera III, LTFRB executive director was announced last Friday.

Among the reasons for the reduced fare was the downward movement of oil prices.

According to the LTFRB joint administrative order (JAO) for the P10 rollback on the flag-down rate of taxicabs, “In the imposition of the provisional fare, grantees of Certificate Public Convenience concerned shall comply with the rules and regulations of the board, the provisions of the Public Service Law as amended and also requirements for public transport service.”

“The order will implemented without prejudice to the operator/driver implementing fare reduction, immediately or until full and final disposition of the above petition of the fare reduction or unless modified/revoked and canceled by the board.”

The board has also stated “failure to implement the order shall be penalized under JAO.”

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