Taxi flag down rate back to P40

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BY GLENDA SOLOGASTOA
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Wednesday, February 8, 2017
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ILOILO City – The regular flag down rate of taxis is returning to P40 effective tomorrow.

In 2014, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Region 6 ordered a provisional P10 reduction in the P40 flag down rate, citing a series of rollbacks in fuel prices. This dismayed the local taxi industry.

March last year, the P30 flag down rate was made permanent.

Yesterday’s LTFRB announcement of the P40 flag down rate was welcomed by taxi drivers and operators.

According to LTFRB regional spokesperson Atty. Jose Marie Lamparero, this P40 base fare will be observed throughout Panay Island, Metro Manila, Cebu and other areas the Philippine National Taxi Operators Association is present.

The Association of Taxi Operators in Panay was among the taxi associations in the country that joined in the petition against the P30 flag down rate. According to taxi drivers and operators, LTFRB’s slashing of the flagdown rate to the 2004 level when a tire cost only between P600 to P800 was unacceptable.

“Now, a tire costs between P1,600 to P2,100,” said Perfecto Yap, ATOP president.

There are an estimated 4,000 taxi drivers in Panay Island.

The P30 flag down rate would rob from the taxi drivers’ income between P300 to P500 equivalent to 12 kilos of rice, said Yap.

According to the United Taxi Drivers of Panay, on the other hand, the P10 flag down rate reduction was anti-labor because it could displace taxi drivers and was also hurting small taxi operators./PN

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