CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City Airport Taxi Operators Incorporated has requested the City Council and the City Traffic Operations Management to be exempted from the implementation of a city ordinance requiring all public utility vehicles plying in the city to install an emergency assistance device.
CCATOI claims its operation has not experienced any incident of hold-up or robbery of its passengers in the past six years.
The company has 120 so-called tourist metered taxi units, per certificate of public convenience issued by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board.
In a board resolution signed by its president Glenn Batiancila, CCATOI said the appearance of their units is being controlled and monitored by the Department of Tourism.
“The DOT desires that the tourist metered taxis of the corporation is clean and presentable. The DOT does not allow any markings on the body of the tourist metered taxis inside and outside,” the company said.
DOT, it added, does not also allow any lightings of the body of the taxis, specifically on its roof, to maintain their presentable appearance.
The operators were referring to City Ordinance No. 1975, or “An Ordinance Requiring Public Utility Vehicles Plying in the Streets of the City of Cebu to Install an Emergency Assistance Device and Providing Penalties Therefore.”
The device being referred to is a small blue bulb that if turned on is interpreted that something untoward is happening inside the public utility vehicle.
Under the ordinance, violators “shall be penalized with a fine of one thousand pesos, or an imprisonment of not more than six months but not less than three months, or both at the discretion of the court.”
CITOM, though, could not act on CCATOI’s request for “lack of authority.”
Atty. Rico Abellanosa, CITOM legal officer, said they manage traffic within the ambit of the provisions of city ordinances duly passed by the City Council.
“It is not within its (CITOM) functions and mandate to suspend the implementation of City Ordinance 1975. Until, the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Cebu City, in an appropriate resolution, or upon the order of the Chief Executive, the Mayor, directing CITOM and its personnel to suspend the implementation of the provisions of City Ordinance No. 1975, specifically with respect to Tourist Metered Taxi, then CITOM will continue to implement City Ordinance No. 1975,” it added. (FREEMAN)