Abusive taxi drivers to be punished Doris C. Bongcac Cebu Daily News
November 14, 2006
Cab drivers beware.
Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña plans to put up a system that would identify and penalize taxi drivers who refuse to use their taxi meters when taking on foreigners as passengers.
Penalties may include the cancellation of the operating franchise of the erring driver’s unit.
The mayor seeks to eliminate the “sabot” system by posting city hall personnel at key taxi stops, such as the airport, and distribute cards that warn passengers of abusive drivers.
The cards provide a space for a passenger to write down information about a taxi if its driver does something illegal, like refusing to use his taxi meter. The card may then be submitted to City Hall for appropriate action.
“It’s embarrassing to do this but it will be more embarrassing if we don’t do this,” said Osmeña. “That will be a good enough deterrent.”
The mayor said his office had already received several complaints about taxi drivers who refuse to activate their taxi meters, instead dealing with the passenger for a fixed fare.
Complaints, he said, often refer to taxi drivers heading to or going out of the Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA).
The mayor said he would meet with officials of the Land Transportation Franchise and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to discuss details of the plan.
He said he wanted the penalty scheme in place before the 12th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit starts next month.
Osmeña also said he may initiate actions against MCIA officials who refuse to cooperate with the city’s campaign against abusive taxi drivers.
