Virgilio Lorenzo Jr

P60 taxi flag-down rate may be too high: LTFRB chief

Article (news)

Andrea Taguines

ABS-CBN News

The P60 flag-down rate being sought by taxi groups may already be too high, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Chairperson Teofilo Guadiz III said Monday.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/08/21/23/taxi-operators-seek-p60-flag-down-rate">Taxi operators seek P60 flag down rate</a></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2024/12/2/gasoline-up-diesel-down-in-first-week-of-december-931">Gasoline up, diesel down in first week of December</a></div>The renewed clamor for an increase in the taxi flag-down rate comes months after the LTFRB granted a P10 hike from P40 to P50 last March 18, 2024.“I already have doubts if we are going to approve because to our mind, the P50 is already justified,” said Guadiz during a chance interview.The LTFRB board has yet to come out with a final decision as it also awaits the National Economic and Development Authority’s (NEDA) assessment on how an increase could impact inflation.“Alam mo naman, every time you do an increase, apektado lahat. So we are also waiting for the results from the NEDA,” the LTFRB chief said.The Philippine National Taxi Operators Association has argued that raising taxi rates is not inflationary.“Hindi naman mass transport ang taxi. Hindi naman tren yan, hindi naman bus yan… It will not have an inflationary effect, hindi kagaya ng pag tumaas ang presyo ng gasolina,” said PNTOA President Bong Suntay.Suntay said earnings of taxi drivers and operators need to be able to catch up to rising costs.“Yung cost of living, tumaas. &#x27;Yung cost ng auto, tumaas. cost ng gulong, cost ng fuel, langis, everything has increased. Pagka-traffic, hindi makakakuha ng sufficient number ng pasahero,” said Suntay.Raising the taxi flag-down rate could help address some of the issues always thrown at the taxi industry such as the dwindling supply and snob drivers, he said.“Ito hindi ko jina-justify dahil mali naman talaga. Dapat ang driver hindi namimili ng pasahero. Ang sinasabi ko lang, kailangan tignan rin ng LTFRB &#x27;yung reason kung bakit nangyayari,” he said.“Dahil nga sa sobrang liit nung taxi rate natin, pag naipit sa traffic &#x27;yung driver, hindi kikita. So ayaw ng driver mapunta sa destinasyon na alam nilang maiipit sila sa traffic,” he explained.“Ayaw ng driver makakuha ng pasahero na ihahatid sa liblib na lugar kasi wala silang pasahero pabalik… gagamit sila ng gasolina, mauubos &#x27;yung oras nila tapos hindi naman sila kumikita,” he added.Suntay said operators also need extra income to be able to upgrade old taxi units and to hire better drivers.The LTFRB is expected to come out with a decision on the matter in the coming weeks.But taxi driver Berto Castillo said he would rather stick with the P40 flag-down rate so he can compete with ride-hailing services that tend be more expensive.He has yet to have his taxi meter recalibrated by the LTFRB.“Okay lang ang P40 basta may pasahero. Kaysa P50 ka nga, wala ka namang pasahero, edi wala din. Matumal na nga tapos tataas pa… Talagang mahirap pero tiyaga na lang,” said Castillo.<div>MORE FARE HIKES?</div>Guadiz said airport taxi operators at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) are also asking for a fare increase.They want the flag-down rate to be raised to P100 from the current P70. They are also seeking an increase in the per kilometer rate from P4 to P10.According to Guadiz, their request needs to be tempered.“They have been requesting an increase of P70 to P100 which to my mind, is already quite exorbitant. We recognize the need to increase the rates but we also reserve the right to determine how much would the increase be,” he said.Guadiz added that city buses in Metro Manila are also seeking an increase in fares, but have yet to submit their position papers.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/business/11/03/23/bus-operators-eye-fare-increase-due-to-toll-oil-prices-hikes">Bus operators eye fare increase due to toll, oil prices hikes</a></div>Guadiz said this would be tackled next year so as not to overburden the riding public especially during the holidays.“It would probably be untimely. If there would be increases, this would be done after Christmas… We are more sensitive on buses than on other forms of public utility vehicles kasi ito yung mass transport na e. This is used by the common tao so we are more careful,” he said.

The P60 flag-down rate being sought by taxi groups may already be too high, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Chairperson Teofilo Guadiz III said Monday.

The P60 flag-down rate being sought by taxi groups may already be too high, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Chairperson Teofilo Guadiz III said Monday.