MANILA -- The P30 flag-down rate for taxi fare nationwide will be permanent starting March 19, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) said on Tuesday.
In March 2015, flag-down rate for taxis has been slashed to P30 but it was only considered provisional.
LTFRB said that the fixed P30 flag-down rate will be implemented nationwide on the said date except in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR). The nationwide fare for every succeeding 300 meters will be P3.50.
The Board has also fixed the charge for waiting time per 90 seconds to P3.50 and not P5, which was earlier petitioned by transport groups.
Airport taxis have a flag-down rate of P60 for the first 500 meters; P4 for every succeeding 500 meters after the first 500 meters; and P4 for the waiting time per 90 seconds.
Taxis in Baguio City will have a flag-down rate of P30, P2 for every succeeding 400 meters and P2 for the waiting time per 60 seconds.
Reduction for flag down rate will take effect 10 days from publication of the order in national newspapers, even without calibration and resealing of the taxi meter.
New rates for the succeeding meters and the waiting time shall be effective upon calibration and resealing of the taxi-meter. Taxi operators will be given a schedule for the calibration and resealing of their taxi meters.
Taxi operators who fail to calibrate and seal/reseal their taxi meters on the above-mentioned schedule will be penalized P5,000.
LTFRB Chairman Winston Ginez said that the fare adjustments were decided after taking into proper account the recommendation of concerned government agencies, drop in crude prices and other socio-economic factors.
Ginez stressed the importance of striking a balance between the interests of both the riding public and the operators and their drivers.
“We did not exactly grant the fare adjustments transport groups wanted but we also reduced the taxi fare by lengthening the distance,” Ginez said.
“We also reduced the waiting time because this has a net reduction in the total fare to the consumer while acknowledging that the drivers and operators would likewise have an increase in waiting time,” he added.
TNVS also urged to review rates
Ginez alo encouraged transport network companies (TNCs) and transport network vehicle systems (TNVS) such as Uber and Grab to review their distance and time rates following the fixed reduction in taxi flag-down rates.
“We urge them to make a proper determination of what should be the fare considering the order of taxis today (Tuesday),” the LTFRB chief said.
Transport group Dumper Philippines Taxi Drivers Association Inc. founder and national president Fermin Octobre said he was not pleased with the decision of the Board.
“The Board should have only minded the fixed flag-down rate and did not bother changing the succeeding rates and waiting time rates,” Octobre said in an interview.
He said that the Board should have also taken traffic congestion, unreasonable boundaries imposed by operators, app-based ride-hailing services among other factors as consideration for making their decision. (PNA)