Taxis may decline passengers who are unable to pay cashless— LTFRB

HIGH DEMAND OF TAXI CABS/NOV. 27, 2015: Taxi cabs continuous to arrive and pick up passengers visited the newly open SM City Seaside at the South Road Properties (SRP) even the presence of SM’s Mybus transport (bus at center) passengers for free.(CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)

CEBU CITY, Philippines — As taxis are starting to ply the streets, drivers may now decline passengers who are unable to pay “cashless” for their ride.

This as the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB-7) already requires that the passenger-driver transactions shall already be cashless or through online wallets as part of the guidelines in their reoperation under general community quarantine.

LTFRB-7 Regional Director Eduardo Montealto Jr. of the Central Visayas (LTFRB-7)  said both the taxi drivers and the passengers must have online wallets so the latter can pay his fare real-time without handing cash to the driver.

READ: LTFRB releases guidelines for TNVS, taxi operators in areas under GCQ

“Because we are implementing cashless [transactions], the driver of the taxi units can refuse the passengers without the cashless application,” Montealto said in a press briefing this morning, June 9, 2020.

As of June 8, 2020, Montealto said the LTFRB-7 has already granted special permits to operate for 2,848 taxi units in the region and some 107 units of transport network vehicle service (TNVS). The payment for the TNVS transaction must also be cashless.

Aside from the cashless payment scheme, the taxis and TNVS are also required to follow physical distancing guidelines in public transport. For both modes of transportation, only 3 passengers may be boarded per transaction. /bmjo