P40 flagdown rate for taxis next year

MANILA, Philippines – The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) announced that starting Jan. 15, the flagdown rate of taxicabs would be P40 from the previous P30.

The new flagdown rate would cover taxicabs nationwide, except for taxis in Baguio City.

Lawyer Manuel Iway, LTFRB board member, explained that the taxicabs in Baguio City are not covered by the new P40 flagdown rate because of an existing petition by a group of local operators there that had asked for a new flagdown rate of P30 from the existing P25.

“We cannot grant them a new rate that is higher than what the operators are asking for,” he said.

The LTFRB approved the petition for fare increase filed by the Philippine National Taxi Operators Association way back in 2004.

LTFRB chairman Nelson Laluces and board member Samuel Garcia signed the decision last Dec. 23 while Iway inhibited from the decision because of another fare hike petition filed by a taxi group in Cebu City that he had opposed when he was still not in government.

Based on the decision, the flagdown rate for taxicabs will be up to P40 from the previous P30.

Iway said there would also be a new rate of P3.50 for the succeeding 300 meters. The present rate is P2.50.

Iway said that under the LTFRB decision, only taxicabs that have metered receipts could avail of the fare hike.

“They will stay with the old rates if they can’t comply with the metered receipt requirement,” he said. – By Reinir Padua (Philstar News Service, www.philstar.com)