DoLE chief wants fixed pay for drivers; GMA seeks exact change from cabbies

Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz has recommended the adoption of fixed salaries plus incentives for bus drivers.

The Labor chief recommended to the National Wages and Productivity Commission and the Bureau of Working Condition with the regulatory agencies to identify strategies to implement fixed salaries for bus drivers nationwide.

NWPC executive director Ciriaco Lagunzad said they drew up an action plan to implement strategies on three key areas which include working conditions and compensation scheme; improving drivers’ competency and road safety knowledge; and possible moratorium on transport strike.

Baldoz said that they also consulted with the Industry Tripartite Council-Transport Sector and other stakeholders to improve bus drivers’ working conditions.

Meanwhile, to protect passengers from abusive taxi drivers who have developed the habit of refusing to give the exact change fare change to their passengers, former President now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Arroyo has filed a bill seeking to penalize cab drivers who would short-change their riders.

In her House Bill 5107 which she filed along with her son Camarines Sur Rep. Diosdado Arroyo before she was admitted to the St. Luke’s Medical Center for surgery on her cervical spine, the former chief executive seeks to penalize cabbies who do not give the exact change to passengers when demanded by them.

In filing the bill, Arroyo said the act of failing or refusing to give exact change should be considered unlawful. As she stressed it should be the duty of taxi drivers to return to the passenger any amount of change for whatever money received outside the fare.

The elder Arroyo said taxicab drivers should no longer wait for the passenger to demand for the exact change.

“Passengers are most often than not victims of abusive taxi drivers. Rampant abusive practices by these taxi drivers include the collection of fare in excess of what is due them,” authors of the bill said.

The Arroyos noted that to justify their acts, many cabbies pretend having not enough coins as change. Some reason out that the ride was their first trip.

“It is quite alarming to note and imagine if the 5,000 taxis more or less in the Metro Manila area alon continue to engage in the same unconscionable practice, where would this leave our commuting public?” they asked.

Under the bill, violators will be penalized with a graduated schedule of fines of P1,000 to P5,000 for first and successive offenses. For the third offense, the six month suspension of the violator’s driver’s license will be added to the fine.

If four or more violations were committed, the Department of Transportation and Communications suspension for the driver will not be less than one year but not more than two years. The license to operate given the taxicab will also be suspended for the same period. –Charlie V. Manalo and Mina Diaz, Daily Tribune