By Alexandria Dennise San Juan
Taxi drivers who turn down passengers, or over-charge, be warned! The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board has intensified its operations against erring taxi drivers that will turn down or take advantage of passengers this Christmas season.
Philippine taxicabs / Photo by PhotoPhilia (Wikipedia Takes Manila participant) via Wikimedia Commons / Manila BulletinTransport regulators started to conduct simultaneous crackdown this month on "snob" or unruly cabbies through the agency's "Oplan Isnabero" program in some transport hubs among malls in Metro Manila.
Earlier this month, transport groups and mall operators signed a pledge of support to LTFRB's "Oplan Isnabero" drive to cut down "opportunistic" cabbies and to ensure the convenience of the riding public this holiday season.
Based on the data from the Public Assistance and Complaints Desk (PACD) of LTFRB, the number of unruly taxi drivers significantly reduced this year.
In 2017, the Board noted a total of 2,133 cabbies who proposition their passengers or "nangongotrata" and who refuse to convey passengers.
From January to November this year, the total number of recorded erring drivers has dropped to 1,123 or almost 50 percent.
Under Joint Administrative Order No. 2014-01, public utility drivers who will refuse "to render service to the public or convey passenger to destination" will be sanctioned.
The order also stated that "contracting" drivers or "nangongontrata" is considered as overcharging or undercharging which is also a violation.
For the first offense on both violations, drivers will face a fine of P5,000; for second offense, a fine of P10,000 and impounding of unit for 30 days; and for third and subsequent offenses, they will be penalized with P15,000 fine and cancellation of the franchise where the unit is authorized.