Taxi operators urge LTFRB to act on fare hike petition

A taxi operators’ association has criticized the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) for allegedly failing to act on a P15-fare hike petition they filed in August 2005 even as gasoline prices have risen several times since last year.

Bong Suntay, Philippine National Taxi Operators Association (PNTOA) president, said the LTFRB failed to act on their petition which has been sitting in the LTFRB office since last year.

He said the last time taxis were given a fare increase was in September 2004 when gasoline was still selling at P24 per liter.

In their August 2005 petition, PNTOA and the Association of Taxi Operators of Metro Manila (ATOMM) had asked the LTFRB to permit taxi drivers to collect an additional P15 per trip aside from the amount reflected in the taxi meter "primarily for the benefit of taxi drivers."

PNTOA and ATOMM had proposed to the LTFRB to issue a fare matrix instead of calibrating the present taxi meters.

The taxi operators wanted it this way so that the taxi meters will no longer be calibrated since they claimed this is a "time-consuming" process.

They said  they are not asking for an increase in charges after the first 500 meters.

LTFRB Chairman Maria Elena Bautista earlier said they will not allow this kind of setup because meters are meant to protect passengers from unfair charges.

PNTOA and ATOMM members have promised not to increase boundary rates just to prove that the fare hike is only meant to help the drivers whose take home pay has greatly suffered with the surging gasoline prices.

"The last time LTFRB gave us an increase was in 2004 when fuel was only P24 per liter. The price of gasoline is now nearing P38 per liter and the board still refuses to give us an increase," Suntay said.

He claimed the board has been unfairly treating the taxi sector since buses and jeepneys have already been granted fare increases twice since 2004, with P1.50 and P2.00 increases approved in 2004 and 2005, respectively.

Taxis in Metro Manila currently charge a P30 flagdown rate and an additional P2.50 for every succeeding 300 meters and two-minutes waiting time.

Bautista, on the other hand,  earlier said the fare hike petition of PNTOA and ATOMM has already been decided by the board but the agency is still waiting for the additional list of accredited suppliers of receipt-issuing machines from the Bureau of Internal Revenue.

Bautista said the agency will implement the fare hike simultaneous with the changing of taxi meters into receipt-issuing ones so the government can collect proper taxes from taxi cabs.