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CEBU CITY, Philippines – The Cebu City Council is requesting the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board in Central Visayas (LTFRB-7) to investigate the alleged incident of a taxi driver charging a flat rate instead of using the taxi meter in Cebu.
Cebu City Councilor Rey Gealon, chairman of the Traffic Management and Coordinating Council (TMCC), passed a resolution requesting the LTRFB 7 to investigate the taxi driver allegedly charging a passenger a flat rate stating that it’s their “policy”.
The said resolution was approved during the council’s regular session on March 6.
READ: Cebu City councilor wants motor taxi firm to probe, address alleged illicit bookings
On February 24, a post circulated on Facebook narrating an incident where a passenger riding from the pier or port was asked to pay a flat rate of P400 for a taxi fare instead of using the taxi meter traveling from Cebu Parklane International Hotel to Pier 3.
“Ang patakaran aning mga taxi driver diri sa @pier 3 makaguba sa image sa province… dapat cguro pa imbistigahan ning mga taxi driver imagine from pier to parklane 400 ang pangayo. Unsaon na lang ug wlai ika bayad. Mao jud daw na ilang ptakaran. Tinood ni?,” said on the Facebook post of the victim or the taxi rider.
(The rule of these taxi drivers here @pier 3 can destroy the image of the province…perhaps we should investigate the taxi driver. Imagine from pier to Parklane, they asked P400. What will happen if the passenger has nothing to pay. That is really their rule. Is this true?)
Further, the taxi driver allegedly stated that it’s their policy, and even that their rate is also different with foreigners.
“Lahi pud daw ang rate ug foreigner. Unsa may gamit anang meter2 ug di gamiton. Calling LTFRB Region VII,” the passenger added on the post.
(Foreigners have different rates. Then what is the use of the meter. Calling LTFRB Region VII.)
Gealon, the author of the proposed resolution, said that an investigation would be necessary for this alleged practice of taxi drivers as it was a clear “violation of law”, and it exploited the passenger’s need for transportation.
Senate bill 2872 introduced by Senator Jinggoy Estrada, said that “a person who does not use the taxi meter system in charging passenger his fare, after due process, shall be penalized with a fine of not less than P5,000 but not more than P 10,000.”
READ: LTFRB-7 penalizes taxi company for discourteous driver, non-use of taxi meter
Moreover, the driver shall also be “suspended from driving for not less than one year but not more than five years.”
Meanwhile, City Councilor James Anthony Cuenco also filed a resolution requesting the Land and Transportation Office (LTO) Region 7 to deploy employees within the area of Cebu City Piers 1, 2, and 3.
Cuenco aims to apprehend taxi drivers that practice the acts of contracting passengers overcharging fare, refusing to convey commuters, and none-use of taxi meters.
The resolution was also part of the agenda and approved during the session on March 6.
In the resolution, the actions are said to be prohibited under the joint administrative order issued by the LTO, LTFRB, and Department of Land and Transportation (DOTr).
The councilor highlighted the need to address and curb these persistent violations within the City of Cebu as it is paramount in upholding public safety, welfare, and the integrity of the public transportation system.
READ: LTO suspends license of overcharging taxi driver