LTFRB director wants DOT to manage local taxis

To provide better service to tourists, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board-7 director Rogelio Osmeña wants all taxi units to be under the management of the Department of Tourism.

Likewise, Osmeña proposed to the DOT to get 200 brand new vans for exclusive use of tourists during the ASEAN Summit and beyond.

Along with the proposal, he offered to give franchise to the vans good for five years with no renewal.

"With Secretary Durano's approval [Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano], we will give franchise for five years," Osmeña said.

In a press conference, Osmeña asked Tourism Undersecretary Phineas Alburo to tell Durano about his proposal. Eventually, Osmeña said he would be formally submitting his proposal to the Tourism Secretary.

Osmeña explained that Cebu, being a primary province and a favorite tourist destination, needs good transport services for tourists.

In some countries, like Singapore for example, he said that it has a very good transport services for tourists because cabbies are under the tourism department. Taxi drivers there are also very honest and they are familiar with all the tourist destinations of their country, Osmeña said.

He added that since most of taxi passengers in Cebu are tourists, it is proper that all taxi units here be placed under the management of the DOT.

Osmeña urged the taxi operators not to hire drivers who are not familiar with Cebu because many drivers here are not even familiar with the names of the streets.

With this, he asked the Land Transportation Office not to give licenses to drivers who don't know the streets of Cebu.

Osmeña also challenged the LTO to revoke the licenses of those drivers who dupe their passengers.

"That's robbery [taxi drivers duping passengers] because it is not good for the image of Cebu. Such kind of drivers should be banned from driving. LTO has to do its job," he stressed. - Wenna A. Berondo