Tuesday, August 28, 2007 No more non-aircon taxis by 2009 By Carlo P. Mallo
NON-airconditioned taxis will be a thing of the past by January 1, 2009, as the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB)-Southern Mindanao will no longer be renewing the franchise of non-aircon taxis.
LTFRB-Southern Mindanao Administrative Officer Edgar Violan said all non-airconditioned taxis would be phased out by the end of December 2008.
"On the first day of 2009, there will be no more non-airconditioned taxis," Violan said.
Moreover, despite the proliferation of new airconditioned taxis plying the city's major thoroughfares, Violan said there has been no reported increase in the number of taxi units in the city. "The number of taxi units in Davao City is still the same as that in 2005," Violan added.
According to Violan, the new taxi units plying the city's routes are not additional to the current number but are replacements to previous taxi units.
"Some taxi fleets are already being phasing out their non-airconditioned units, replacing them with airconditioned ones," Violan said.
