LTFRB extends deadline for taxi receipt system

CEBU, Philippines – The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board-7 has given taxi drivers and operators another month to comply with the requirements for the implementation of the taxi receipt system which is the use of cash registry machines (CRMs) in issuing receipts.

LTFRB-7 regional director Romulo Bernardes said they will not push yet for the enforcement in order to grant the request of drivers and operators for ample time to prepare.

He, however, clarified that drivers are instead strictly required to implement the manual issuance of receipts to passengers.

The original deadline for implementation was yesterday for taxi units with the last digits of 1 to 6 in their license plates.

“I had a meeting with operators and daghan tinuod sila’g reklamo that they are not prepared in both machines and printed manual receipts. But I told them that I’ve been reminding them of it since the memorandum order was released,” Bernardes said.

He insisted that it is a Supreme Court order so it must be enforced as scheduled.

Enforcers started the monitoring yesterday despite drivers’ request to defer enforcement for lack of enough preparation not only in the installation of machines but also in printing of receipts.

LTFRB has so far caught two violators who did not issue receipts as complained by the passengers.

Bernardes told drivers and operators that they have until July 1, unless otherwise extended by the central office, to install the machines.

This is only for taxi units with the last digits of 1 to 6 in their plate numbers. For units with last digits 7 to 0, the deadline will be on August.

Failure to comply will cost drivers a P1,500 penalty for the first offense, a 30-day suspension for the second offense and cancellation of franchise for the third offense. — Jessica Ann R. Pareja/BRP (THE FREEMAN)