Taxi operators and drivers protest in front of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board Central Visayas office. The protesters blocked L. Briones St., North Reclamation Area in Cebu City with their taxi units (right photo) during their rally seeking a smaller reduction in the flag-down rate. (CDN PHOTOS/TONEE DESPOJO)
A taxi operators’ group in Cebu is seeking a lower P5 reduction of the flagdown rate instead of the P10 cut to be implemented on March 19.
“Ug P10 ang reduction luoy kaayo ang mga driver. Alkansi sila ani (If the reduction is P10, it would be a big disadvantage to the drivers),” said Richard Cabucos, president of the Metro Cebu Taxi Operators Association (MCTOA), said in an interview after yesterday’s protest rally.
Aside from the fare reduction, Cabucos said the group also wanted the 300-meter distance for the succeeding rate retained and not increased to 500 meters as stated in the new LTFRB order, which will take effect this Saturday.
The protesting taxi operators were joined yesterday by more than a hundred taxi drivers who brought their units with them and blocked the north bound lane of L. Briones St. in the North Reclamation Area in Cebu City where the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board Central Visayas (LTFRB 7) office is located.
Some of the drivers even carried placards calling for the “immediate resignation of LTFRB Chairman Winston Gines.”
Taxi operators and drivers protest in front of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board Central Visayas office. The protesters blocked L. Briones St., North Reclamation Area in Cebu City with their taxi units (right photo) during their rally seeking a smaller reduction in the flag-down rate. (CDN PHOTOS/TONEE DESPOJO)
“We were asked by our operator to join the protest, then we can resume driving our unit tomorrow,” said one taxi driver in Cebuano, who did not want to be named.
The protest action which started at 9 a.m. obstructed morning traffic in the area for a few hours.
Cabucos later handed their position paper to acting LTFRB 7 Director Rey Elnar.
Cabucos said they are seeking the reduction of the flag-down rate “para ma-arang arang sad ang among kita” (so that our income will be better).
NEW ORDER TO TAKE EFFECT SAT.
Elnar said in a separate interview that he received Cabucos’s position paper and will refer this to their national office that is now hearing pending appeals on the P10 reduction in the flag-down rate.
Elnar also warned operators and drivers that unless a new order is released, the nationwide implementation of the reduced flag-down rate will have to take effect on March 19 as scheduled.
Operators will also be required to submit their units for recalibration starting next month.
Elnar said LTFRB 7 has at least three accredited centers that are capable of recalibrating meters of taxi units.
He, however, said he will have to check on the accredited centers’ names.
Recalibration cost at least P500 per unit.
Once recalibrated, the meter of the taxi unit will have to be tested by the LTFRB before they are sealed.
An LTFRB sticker will also be posted on the unit’s windshield.
A penalty of P5,000 will be imposed on those who will fail to submit their units for recalibration.
“If there is no sticker, we will assume that the unit is not calibrated or a colorum,” he added.
Units with plate number ending in 2, 4, 9 are scheduled for re-calibration in April while those ending in 5, 7, 0 are scheduled in May.
Those units with plate numbers ending in 1, 3, 6 and 8 are scheduled for recalibration in June.