An official from the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board-Davao Region (LTFRB-Davao) reported approximately 32 apprehensions, including one case involving a taxi driver soliciting passengers inside Francisco Bangoy International Airport, also known as Davao International Airport (DIA).
Nonito Llanos, regional director of LTFRB-Davao, disclosed this during the session of the 20th city council on Tuesday morning, May 7, 2024, at the Sangguniang Panlungsod.
“For March and April, there were 32 apprehensions already inside the airport, one of which is the contracting of passengers,” he said.
Llanos also said that they had received a total of 86 complaints via messages from January to May, consisting of 39 formal complaints and 37 from Davao City Reports.
Following Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte's social media post about taxi drivers not using meters and soliciting passengers, LTFRB-Davao, Caap-Davao, City Transport and Traffic Management Office (CTTMO), Land Transportation Office-Davao Region (LTO-Davao), and other agencies convened for a coordination meeting on April 22, 2024, to address taxi-related issues.
The solutions included drafting new guidelines for errant taxi drivers, prompted by multiple passenger reports of meter non-use. On May 3, 2024, a re-orientation session for taxi operators on these guidelines was held at DIA, emphasizing their obligations as franchise holders in the city.
Upon boarding, passengers are given a complaint stub by authorities, and LTFRB-Davao has stationed two personnel out of five enforcers at DIA along with other agencies. If any complaints arise, LTFRB-Davao's legal officer issues a show-cause order to the taxi driver.
Rex Obcena, Caap-Davao Manager, added that in addition to the new guidelines, action desks have been established within the airport for complainants seeking to file reports.
The issue of taxi drivers not using meters gained attention when Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa shared a passenger's complaint on Facebook about an excessively high fare demanded by a Davao City taxi driver. RGP