6 days ago
Taxi driver who charged P1,260 for NAIA T3 to T2 faces revocation of license
Transportation Secretary Vivencio 'Vince' Dizon has ordered the revocation of the license of a taxi driver caught in a viral video charging his passengers P1,260 for the fare from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 to Terminal 2.
According to Dizon, he has already ordered the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) and the Land Transportation Office (LTO) to revoke the registration of both the driver, and the franchise of the operator.
'Talagang galit na galit ako nung nakita ko. Motu proprio, pinapadalhan ko ng show cause order 'yan, pero sinabihan ko na 'yung LTFRB at LTO — i-revoke na 'yan pareho, lisensya ng driver tsaka 'yung prangkisa ng operator,' he said in a report by Jonathan Andal on GMA's '24 Oras Weekend' on Sunday.
'Hindi ako naniniwalang hindi alam ng operator 'yan. Malamang 'yan, ginagawa na ng matagal 'yan. Ito 'yung first time na nakakita ako ng actual video, pero ang dami nang mga reports na ganyan. Kapag ginawa nila ito ulit at kahit na iba pang mga taxi operator, 'yan din ang mangyayari sa kanila,' he added.
(I was really angry when I saw it. Motu proprio, I have already ordered a show cause order, but I also told the LTFRB and LTO to revoke both the license of the driver and the franchise of the operator).
This comes as a video circulated online showing that passengers were being charged P1,260 for a trip from NAIA Terminal 3 to Terminal 2. A check on Google Maps shows that the two terminals are 8.4 kilometers away by car, with an estimated travel time of approximately 22 minutes.
According to the passenger, they agreed that the driver would follow the taxi meter but they were instead shown a cellphone screen with the amount P1,200.
'Wala kaming kontrata. Sabi niya metro. Ang inexpect namin 'dun, hindi aabot ng P500. Bale ang nabayad namin dun, P1,145 kasama 'yung toll gate. Binayaran namin at nagmamadali, maiiwan ng airplane eh,' she said.
(We did not have a contract. He said he'll use the meter. We expected that the fare would not reach P500. We paid P1,145, including the toll gate. We paid as we were rushing, and would have been left by our flight.)
The taxi was said to have been under the Taxi Hub Transport. The unit has since been impounded by the LTO, with the driver and operator expected to claim the unit on Monday, June 16.
'Ang Taxi Hub, wala naman kaming binibigay na rate. Sinasabi namin lahat sa mga taxi drivers namin ay bawal mangontrata. Mayroon na po kaming nangyaring ganyan na sinabihan namin, tinanggal namin. Parati naka-update 'yung sa metro namin,' Taxi Hub Transport manager Leonardo Domingo said in the same report.
(Taxi Hub does not give out rates. We tell our drivers that contracting is not allowed. We had an incident before where we reprimanded and removed the driver. Our meters are always updated.)
Dizon, for his part, called on the public to continue to report drivers charging exorbitant fees, and recommended those who can take transport network vehicle service (TNVS) or ride-hailing applications instead.
'Huwag sila matakot, i-video nila, ipadala nila kaagad, i-tag nila 'yung DOTr at LTO, aaksyunan natin kaagad. Ito lang ang paraan para matakot na itong mga ito na matagal nang sinasamantala 'yung mga kababayan natin,' he said.
'Ako, ang suggestion ko, gamitin na lang muna nila 'yung mga TNVS diyan para hindi sila ma-loko,' he added.
(They should not be afraid, take videos and send them immediately, tag the DOTr and LTO. We will take immediate action. This is the only way for those who have long been taking advantage of our countrymen to be scared.
My suggestion is for them to temporarily use TNVS in order for them not to be taken advantaged of.) —Jon Viktor Cabuenas/RF, GMA Integrated News
