Normin LTFRB starts calibrating taxi meters

By LITO RULONA
Correspondent

The northern Mindanao Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB-10) has started calibrating taxi meters starting yesterday based on the approved taxi industry’s request for a fare increase last week.

The re-calibration starts despite reported series of lowering down of petroleum products prices this week.

LTFRB-10 Regional Director Aminodin Guro said they will start re-calibrating taxi meters inside their offices and other authorized and accredited calibrator establishments Monday.

“The LTFRB board only approved a minimal increase instead of the taxi organization request for a P5.50 in every two minutes, they only approved P13.50 in every one kilometer,” he said.

He said operators who failed to re-calibrate their taxi meters cannot impose the new rates.

“The public can also check for LTFRB seal attached to re-calibrated taxi meters if they have doubts on the fare imposed. Every year the seal color is changed. This year’s color is green,” he added.

Guro said the commuting public can file a petition if fuel prices would lower down. He said they can file petition locally.

In its eight-page decision, the LTFRB cited inflation, the rising cost of fuel and the worsening traffic as among its reasons for approving the fare hike.

The LTFRB also did away with the P3.50 rate for every two minutes of waiting time. Commuters would instead be charged P2 for every minute of their travel time.

“[T]he need to adjust fare rates for taxi services is necessary for them to level up their services at par with new transportation modes,” the LTFRB said in its decision.

Guro said the order is applicable nationwide after taxi organization called Philippine National Taxi Operator’s in the Philippines which has membership in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan City filed it’s petition.

But local taxi operators and commuting public can file a counter-petition not to implement the imposition of taxi rate increase locally.

“They can file their own counter increase if they are looking into nga basin affected sila. Tungod sa traffic situation pwede kini usabon. Flagdown still remains at P40 and didto lang kita sa running time ang increase,” he said.