MIAA targets picky, ‘colorum’ drivers

AUTHORITIES at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) put in place an “Oplan Isnabero” simultaneously with a crackdown on colorum taxi drivers as the New Year neared.

The colorum drivers operate without a government franchise.

“Oplan Isnabero” eyes choosy taxi drivers who refuse to take in passengers.

Since Saturday, members of the Airport Police Department (APD), which the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) had deputized, inspected documents of regular taxis queu- ing at a designated taxi lane of the NAIA Terminal 1 arrival area.

The inspection was part of the memorandum of agreement (MoA) signed on August 19 this year by the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) and the LTFRB to curb colorum vehicles at the NAIA.

The MoA gave the go-signal to the MIAA, through its airport police, to impound taxis with spurious documents and their drivers issued impounding receipts and inspection report summonses.

All public vehicles that were inspected on Saturday, including those white taxis picking up and dropping off passengers at the Terminal 1 departure area, were found with complete franchising documents.

Through the operations, the MIAA said, is not only putting a stop to illegal transport operations at the country’s premier airport but it is also going after people engaged in the enterprise.

MIAA General Manager Ed Monreal said the operations also aim to improve public transport services at the NAIA by strictly implementing and regulations.

The airport authority said operators of colorum vehicles will be meted fines ranging from P120,000 to P200,000 instead of the usual P1,000.

Meanwhile, airport authorities advised all passengers to always watch out for their belongings while inside the terminals, citing the heavy volume of passengers during the holiday season.

Monreal appealed to passengers to secure all their belongings, noting the rising number of misplaced luggage both at the terminals and inside aircraft.