Cabbies protest flag down rate cut

Piston Cebu chapter head Greg Perez leads taxi drivers in staging a protest at the LTFRB regional office. (CDN Photo/Edison delos Angeles)

Over a hundred taxi drivers gathered outside the regional Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB-7) office in Cebu City at 10 a.m. yesterday to denounce the P10 reduction in taxi flag down rates.

The protest action coincided with the first day of the implementation of the recalibration of taxi meters that reduced the flag down rate from P40 to P30.
Greg Perez, Cebu chapter president of the militant transport group Piston, said they joined 50 taxi drivers of the Metro Cebu Taxi Operators Association (MCTOA) in staging the rally at the LTFRB-7 office.

Drivers and their units occupied parts of J. de Vera Street located in front of the LTFRB office in Cebu City, slowing down traffic flow in the area.

They also protested the government’s planned phaseout of old passenger jeepney units. The recalibration of the taxi meters will continue until June this year.

LTFRB Regional Director Ahmed Cuizon said operators who fail to have their taxi meters recalibrated will face sanctions.

“They will be fined P5,000 and will not be allowed to ply the streets anymore because their uncalibrated meters mean they’re overcharging,” he said.

The first phase of the calibration and resealing ends on the last day of April and will cover taxis with plate numbers ending in 4, 9, and 2.

The second phase will end on the last day of May and will cover taxis with plate numbers ending in 5, 0, and 7 while taxis with plate numbers ending in 1, 3, 6, and 8 have until the last day of June to have their meters recalibrated and resealed.