TODAY should be interesting. Taxis should decrease the flagdown rate by P 10.
Expect some taxi drivers to play hardball. Either they won’t give you the exact change for your bill, or they grumble if you insist on giving the exact amount down.
They’ll tell you that the rollback shortchanges them. Taxi operators still charge the same daily “boundary”; P1,800 for new units, or P900 for vintage versions better sent off to the junkyard.
Don’t be shocked if their units reek of cigarette smoke. They’ll say some passenger refused to heed the no-smoking regulation.
Or they’ll unabashedly admit they did the smoking, but they did roll down their side windows. They might apologize but just above a whisper.
Others will pretend to forget flagging down their meters, or remember to do so only when you’re about halfway near your destination. Also, they could feign a busted meter that needs fixing.
Altruism could be another route. Better, they say, not to use the meter because the horrendous traffic snarl or the passengers’ remote destination will only weigh heavy on the passenger’s pocket.
Others will feign ignorance --- that they had just started their route and were not told about the rollback. And they’ll say that the taxi meter has not been recalibrated to reflect the rollback rate; ergo, it’ll be a hassle for him to negotiate with the taxi operator. Right!
Per the drivers association, the drivers will see a pay cut. That’s difficult for the family. But most especially when their daily needs include a purchase of shabu. Supposedly, their fix keeps them awake for 24 hours.
We’re told that the daily budget for shabu is P600. Imagine the rice and food it could buy and the other expenses it could address if this money all went to the family.
With this decreased flagdown rate, plus the continued addiction to shabu, we can expect more frequent verbal fisticuffs between driver and wife, either in the house or the taxis’ garage.
Drivers who don’t take shabu say they negotiate with their operators not to rent out the unit to those with the addiction.
“Alkansi ka kon maka partner ka anang mo-shabu,” they say. First, the partners don’t clean or wash the taxi after their shift. Second, the smell of the substance sticks to the taxi’s seats and ceiling.
Because the rollback is temporary, Manila’s LTFRB Board does not see the need for recalibrating the meters. The adjustments will
rest with the passengers; they merely pay P10 less starting today. Hahaha. Tell that to agitated drivers!
LTFRB encourages passengers to report the names of rogue or errant drivers who don’t apply the reduced flagdown. But what numbers should we call? Who are the contact persons during the 24 hours? Are there even mobile numbers to text to?
During a quiet night in some quiet street, who’s to resolve the conflict in real time between the immovable passenger and the incorrigible driver?
Implementing the flagdown decrease will be an exercise in futility. I could be wrong, though. LTFRB might still show its will of steel and surprise me.
(lelani.echaves@gmail.com)