LTFRB-10 to taxi cabs: ‘Don’t turn down passengers’

BY GERRY LEE GORIT
Contributor

THE Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board-10 (LTFRB-10) has reminded taxi drivers not to turn away passengers who flag them down, especially during the Yuletide season as this would be a violation of the commuters’ rights.

Aminoden Guro, LTFRB-10 regional director, explained that public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers should not refuse to carry passengers and should consider as their utmost priority the safety and convenience of each passenger they serve.

Guro’s reaction came following a recent situation where a taxi driver declined a lady passenger who turned out to be seven months pregnant.

The pregnant passenger, who was also a nurse-front liner, expressed her sentiments that she already boarded the taxi unit with her groceries when the driver refused to carry her to her destination and let her transfer to another taxi unit, the LTFRB-10 said on its Facebook post recently.

This action of the driver, Guro said, has caused so much inconvenience on the part of the passenger.

“The driver, on the other hand, acknowledged his fault. He sincerely apologized for his mistake and the inconvenience that he has caused the passenger,” he said.

He added that the operator of the taxi was also present to personally ask for an apology from the passenger. He promised to give serious disciplinary action against his driver.

The director added that each violation has a penalty of P5,000 and the license of the taxi driver shall also be forwarded to the Land Transportation Office for appropriate action.

Guro said the passenger chose to withdraw her complaint and forgave the driver.