Passengers going home to their provinces are seen lining up and waiting for their turn to board their assigned vessels at Pier 3 of the Cebu City Port. | Photo courtesy of CPA
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Former Dipolog City Mayor Edelburgo Cheng is urging the management of the Cebu Port Authority (CPA) to again allow taxis to enter the port area, to especially provide transportation to members of the vulnerable sector.
Cheng has expressed his dismay at the inconvenience that elderly travelers, like him, had to endure upon their arrival at the Ports of Cebu City.
He said that they had to walk outside the port area and wait for a long time just to get a ride.
“Lately, taxi cabs no longer line up inside the port area. Passengers must now go outside the port to hail a cab, which is taxing for our less fortunate and marginalized sectors of society,” he said.
Making matters worst is the practice of some taxi drivers of selecting passengers, with some even demanding for a fixed rate instead of using their taxi meters.
Cheng, 82, said that the changes that were implemented on the port’s taxi system is causing so much inconvenience to senior citizens like himself and other vulnerable groups like the persons with disability (PWDs) and pregnant women.
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Port taxi system
The former mayor brought his concerns to the attention of Cebu City officials through a letter that he wrote dated August 31, 2024. His letter was received by the Sangguniang Panglungsod secretariat on September 5 and included in the agenda for the City Council’s regular session on September 11.
In his letter, Cheng said that the CPA was able to manage the port’s transportation system in an orderly manner until recently.
He said that two years ago, disembarking passengers were able to immediately board taxis that are found outside of the passenger terminal area.
The movement of taxis is supervised by CPA’s security personnel.
However, Cheng noted that the system drastically changed in recent months.
In an exclusive interview with CDN Digital on Friday, September 13, Cheng said that he visits Cebu City twice a year for his physical examinations. Just recently, he was also here with his mechanical engineering colleagues to renew their professional licenses.
Bring back old system
He said that after they disembarked from their assigned boat, they, along with other senior citizens, had difficulty in hailing cabs.
“Ako gyud gihigayonan nga sulatan gyud nako. Akong plano sulatan sad nako si Governor Gwen Garcia kay maapektohan man sad ang mga pasahero sa probinsya. Ang ilang port sa Cebu dili friendly,” he said.
Cheng is urging CPA to bring back its old port taxi system to give convenience to members of the vulnerable sector, including foreign tourists and Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), arriving at the Ports of Cebu City.
He compared the taxi system at the port area with those in malls and airports wherein taxis pick up passengers in an orderly manner.
Acting Cebu City Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia, for his part, said that he acknowledges Ching’s concerns.
In an interview on Thursday, September 12, Garcia said that he is yet to receive a copy of the former mayor’s letter. As soon as a copy of Cheng’s letter is sent to him, Garcia said that he will not ignore this.
“I have not received the letter, but rest assured, when I do, I will call on the Cebu Port Authority to immediately address the matter,” Garcia said.