THE City Council on Monday, November 5, approved a rare proposal from the associations of taxi operators and drivers to lower the taxi fare citing low income.
City Councilor Teodulfo Lao Jr., chairperson of the public utilities said the approved resolution will be forwarded to the national office of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) which has the authority to adjust the fare rate.
Lao said the operators and drivers particularly asked to stop the implementation of the P13 per succeeding kilometer and if possible, the P2 per minute waiting time fare rates. The flag down rate which is at P40 will remain.
The Cagayan de Oro Taxi Operators and Drivers Association, Federation of Taxi Operators and Drivers, and taxi operators and drivers in the uptown area of the city were the ones who asked for the decrease.
Councilor Zaldy Ocon meanwhile asked to defer the passage resolution and give it 2 more weeks to ensure that all drivers and operators were consulted.
Ocon got the support of Councilors George Goking, Edna Dahino, and Romeo Calizo.
But the resolution got approved anyway as it was voted by the majority of the councilors.
In August this year, the LTFRB has started re-calibrating taxi meters to implement the fare hike that also provides for a P2-per-minute travel charge.
Under the new fare scheme, the flag down rate for taxis remains at P40 but the distance rate is now at P13.50 per kilometer, higher than the previous P3.50 for every 300 meters or around P11 per kilometer.
On top of that, taxi operators can now charge a travel duration rate of P2 per minute, to replace the waiting time charge of P3.50 for every two minutes.