‘No green light yet for P40 taxi flag down rate’

The newly-approved taxi fare rate cannot be implemented yet due to the absence of a memorandum circular to be issued by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board.

LTFRB-7 Regional Director Ahmed Cuizon said there is yet no official order from the central office to start the recalibration of taxi meters.

He, however, said the resealing and recalibration will be done near Sugbo Building at the South Road Properties.

The recalibration will be done in batches.

"Wala pa man ta makadawat of MC so in the meantime dili pa ma implement ang new taxi fare," said Cuizon.

To recall, on October 23, the board members of the LTFRB approved the P40 flag down rate.

Taxi services in the National Capital Region and provinces except those in the Cordillera Administrative Region are “permanently authorized to increase flag down fare in the amount of P10 resulting in the flag down fare of P40.”

The board also set a P13.50 charge per additional kilometer and P2 per minute of travel time for NCR and other provinces including CAR.

Currently, taxis charge P3.50 per 300 meters or P11.55 per kilometer.

LTFRB Chair Martin Delgra III recenlty signed the resolution adjusting the taxi fare after several transport groups filed petitions since 2016.

The LTFRB said the taxi fare hike would be “effective after publication in newspaper of general circulation unless modified, revoked and or cancelled by the board.”

Aside from lack of MC, Cuizon said, the new rate cannot be implemented yet because of petition of the taxi operators from Cagayan de Oro who wanted to be exempted from the said fare rate.

“I think this petition has to be resolved first before the MC will be issued," Cuizon said.

The association of taxi operators in Cebu was among the petitioners asking LTFRB to raise taxi fare rates, citing the increase is already long overdue.