Taxi Fare Hike Approved; Recalibrated Units To Be Installed With CCTVs, Mobile Apps
3 min readIn the hope of improving the transport system in the country, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) is allowing a taxi fare hike.
According to a report in the Philippine Star, the LTFRB went ahead and started the calibration process for taxi meters on Tuesday, July 31. This is the first step in the implementation of the taxi fare hike, which was approved last October 2017.
The calibration and resealing of meters was done to ensure compliance among the taxi community. The LTFRB carried out the operation on a property owned by the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Parañaque City, which can accommodate up to 200 taxis at the same time.
What are the approved taxi rates?
Under the LTFRB approved taxi fare hike, the new taxi rates are as follows:
Flag down rate : P40
Distance rate: P13.50 per kilometer (compared to the previous rate which is P3.50 per 300 meters)
Time rate: P2 per minute
The total fare to be charged to the rider will be the total of these three fares.
When will the approved rates be applied?
According to LTFRB chairman Atty. Martin Delgra III, taxis that have already undergone the process of calibration can now charge the commuters with the new rates.
On the other hand, if a taxi unit that has not been calibrated and is already asking for the higher fees from their riders, this will be considered a case of overpricing as taxi fares should only be based solely on the taxi meter itself.
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Delgra warned offenders that violators of the rules and regulations imposed by the agency will face certain consequences.
How can a taxi be recalibrated?
LTFRB chairman Atty. Martin Delgra III stated that taxi operators should complete their requirements and pay the resealing fee amounting to P1,110 per unit. Only then will they be able to proceed to their authorized taxi meter providers for calibration of fares.
Included in the resealing fee are the processes to be done such as resealing and testing of the meters, inspection of the unit, and research fees.
Taxi operators are reminded that in order to avoid inconvenience, they should bring the complete requirements before proceeding to the calibration and resealing site.
Taxi Calibration Requirements:
- Certificate of accreditation from accredited Transport Network Company (TNC)
- Duly filled out calibration form with stencil of chassis
- Copy of Decision/Franchise Verification
- Original and Current LTO OR/CR
- Passbook
- Undertaking (CCTV, Dashcam, GNSS and Wifi)
After the said calibration has been done, taxi operators should then proceed to the resealing area set by the LTFRB.
A road test will be performed to guarantee that the unit is calibrated with fairness and accuracy. Upon doing so, approved and calibrated taxis will be receiving a Taximeter Calibration Certification Sticker placed on the top and rightmost corner of their windshields. The said sticker should not be tampered with, otherwise, the meter of that said taxi would be questionable.
What other improvements is the LTFRB requiring from recalibrated taxis?
Apart from all that, under the Omnibus Franchising Guidelines set by the LTFRB, each taxi unit that is calibrated should install a closed-circuit television camera (CCTV), a dashcam, a global positioning system (GPS), and a mobile app (Hirna, Micab and GrabTaxi).
Their aim is to upgrade the services offered by taxis comparable to that of the transport network vehicle service units (TNVS), which will solve the problem regarding overcharging and “kontrata†system.
While this may be the start of a better transport system in the country, all we can do now is hope that everything would go smoothly and that these upgrades would promote a healthier system for the betterment of both operators and commuters.
Sources:
https://www.philstar.com/nation/2018/08/01/1838563/ltfrb-starts-calibrating-taxi-meters-fare-hike
About the author
Cloey Mangali Cloey was a dentistry student before she found her true calling. After writing digital content for several publications, she now churns out financial advice and lifestyle pieces on eCompareMo. She is also a certified travel junkie, novel geek, and sports enthusiast.