LTFRB keeps eye on erring taxi drivers

THE Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board has stepped up its campaign against taxi drivers who reject passengers and who charge passengers without using taxi meters.

Aminoden Guro, LTFRB regional director, warned that erring drivers caught would face fines in the renewed campaign called “Oplan Isnabero” that started in Dec. 19. He said the monitorings would continue until the new year because the LTFRB has anticipated the increased influx of taxi passengers because of the Yuletide.

He said it is illegal for taxi drivers to reject or choose passengers.

Guro also warned against the practice some taxi drivers to charge their passengers based on verbal contracts instead of taxi meters.

An erring driver, he said, could be slapped with a P5-thousand fine for the first offense and P10 thousand for the second offense.

A third offense could result in the cancelation of the taxi franchise, said Guro.

“Gikinahanglan gyud sa mga taxi operator nga ilang panimangno-an ang ilang mga driver nga ila gyud kanunay hinomdoman ang mga policy sa LTFRB before sila mamasada aron makaliy sila sa multa kay operator man ang among multahan sa sala sa iyang driver,” he said.

Meanwhile, Antoniento Paqueo, chief for Law enforcement of the LTFRB in Region 10, said they were also keeping an eye on other public vehicles to ensure public safety on the roads until the new year.

Paqueo said LTFRB’s aim is to ensure that all public vehicles are road worthy.

Public vehicles with worn-out tires, defective lights, damaged windshields side mirrors are to be grounded, he said.

He said LTFRB is also checking the registration papers of public buses and other public vehicles, and the licenses of drivers.

“Kadtong maka-violate sa among policy, magbayad sa multa nga dili mo-ubos sa P5 thousand,” Paqueo said. (nitz arancon)