MCIAA denies banning taxis at the arrival area

Lack of enough parking space for metered taxis at the arrival area is the reason why only a few of these vehicles have been allowed to park and wait for arriving passengers, assistant general manager Romeo Versoza of the Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority explained to the Cebu City Council yesterday.

Versoza explained that with the volume of passengers at the airport, about 10,300 daily, makes traffic difficult to control if metered taxis are allowed to park freely to pick up passengers at the arrival area.

Besides, the bulk of these airline passengers use their own vehicles to and from the airport and these add to the number of taxis at the facility, said Versoza. “Our main concern is traffic management,” he said.

Versoza clarified to the Council that MCIAA did not actually prohibit metered taxis to go to the arrival area. He said that, arriving passengers wanting to avail themselves of metered taxis, could ask help of the airport guard to call for one of these, which are parked at the loading bay near the airport’s departure area.

The Council invited MCIAA officials to yesterday’s session for a clarification about a report by councilor Rodrigo Abellanosa that metered taxis are no longer at the airport’s arrival area, thus depriving passengers of affordable means of transportation.

Abellanosa also reported in the previous session that what are left at the arrival area are cars-for-rent, which are expensive to many passengers. Representatives from the Department of Tourism, tourist guides group, and taxi operators supported Abellanosa’s concern during yesterday’s public hearing on the issue..

Red Gonzales of DOT-7 and Steve Retuya, president of the tourist guides’ group, both said that MCIAA could help local tourists if it can allocate a space near the arrival area where metered taxis could park and wait for passengers.

Morgan Tan of the Metro Cebu Taxi Operators Association contended that, with the reported increase of airline passengers, it is more than necessary then to allow metered taxis at the arrival area to attend to the transportation needs of these passengers quickly.

Versoza responded to them and said that the airport will set up a counter at the arrival area “that would address the need for metered taxis.” He however denied the existence of cars-for-rent that charge exorbitant fare, but said he had no personal knowledge on the matter. He then encouraged the public to report cases like these to airport officials. .

Versoza repudiated the statement of councilor Raul Alcoseba that the MCIAA neglected the traffic problem at the airport. He said that MCIAA has been continuously finding ways to ensure that vehicle traffic at the airport stays smooth.

Abellanosa earlier commented that, while many now take lower rates offered by airlines to save travel money, it is disheartening to note that upon arrival at the airport, passengers spend more just to get to the city.

“It is ironic that upon arrival, local tourists get discouraged,” said Abellanosa as he urged MCIAA to provide honest-to-goodness transportation at the airport. — Joeberth M. Ocao/RAE