A PETITION asking for a moratorium in the implementation of the present taxi fare rate in Baguio City and Benguet Province has been submitted to the Department of Transportation (DOTr) in the Cordillera region.
The move came following an uproar coming from the riding public on the present taxi fare rate.
DOTr-Cordillera Assistant Director Mohammad Nasser Abbas said the petition, which has reached the Office of the President, came from vendors, students and concerned citizens.
"Asking the central office of the central office of the Department of Transportation for a moratorium on the taxi fare hike in Cordillera specifically Baguio City and Benguet," the petition read.
The petition added that the installation of GPS, WiFi, continuous 72-hour dash board and online digital cameras from accredited suppliers by the LTFRB appears to be a business partnership to earn personal income.
"Riding calibrated taxi's are significantly affecting and financially constraining because among us passengers and commuters are students, senior citizens, persons with disability, unemployed and financially incapable," it added. "Therefore we plea, with your positional authority, a moratorium shall be resolved until such time a better proposal and a permanent decision from the DOTR will be published."
The adjustment on flag-down rate approved by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) in October last year starts with the regular P35 flag-down rate with the addition of a P13.50 per kilometer, and a P2 per minute of travel time from origin to destination.
The old fare rate is P35 flag-down, plus P2 per 200 meters, and an additional P2 per minute of waiting time.
The new taxi fare rate is only applicable to taxis that have undergone meter calibration process of the LTFRB. The calibration started on March 5.
"For this to be totally amended and for the P2 per minute waiting time to be scrapped will give a burden to the operators and will force the riding public not to ride taxis," Abbas said.
Abbas added that President Rodrigo Duterte have always been for the masses and "does not like things like these to affect masses, that's why he was voted upon because the people believes he can make changes.'