LTFRB: Taxi drivers who hike rates before Jan 21 face sanctions

Heavy penalties await taxi drivers and operators who start charging a P40 flag-down rate before January 21. The warning came Friday from Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) chairman Nelson Laluces, after he got reports of cabbies charging the new rate early. "Cabbies would be guilty of overcharging if they enforce the P40 flag-down rate before January 21. They could lose their license in the process," Laluces said in an interview on dzBB radio. He also reminded operators that the P3,000 penalty is for each overcharging violation. Laluces said that while the new P40 flag-down rate for taxis has been approved, it cannot take effect until 15 days after it is published. "Nag-publish kahapon. so naantala ang pag-publish ... January 21 at yan pag naging final, doon uumpisahan ang implementation (The rates were published only on Thursday. So the new rates take effect January 21)," he said. But even then, he said the taxi drivers and operators must fulfill at least two conditions before they can charge the new rate. These include having a properly calibrated taxi meter, and installing a meter that can issue receipts. "Kung wala ang dalawang yan di sila pwede mag-charge ng new rates (Without those two conditions, taxi drivers cannot charge the new rates)," he said. Citing reports reaching him, Laluces said only 50 percent of taxis have the new receipt-issuing meters. Laluces also said the Jan. 21 rule covers all taxis nationwide except for Baguio City, where local taxi operators had filed a petition for a fare increase. — LBG/RSJ, GMANews.TV