DOT to train drivers for airport "Yellow Taxi"

CEBU, Philippines - At least 100 taxi drivers are getting professional orientation seminar from the Department of Tourism (DOT-7) in preparation for the commercial business of the first airport “Yellow Taxi” in Cebu.

DOT-7 regional director Patria Aurora Roa said yesterday that these 100 taxi drivers will be trained in proper customer service, good grooming, how to handle complaints, Cebu tourist attraction know-how, and other information about the province, in order to properly handle incoming airport passengers.

Roa, who is also a board member of the Mactan International Airport Authority (MCIAA) said that with the operation of Yellow Taxi, which is operated by a consortium of businessmen, could help eradicate bad impressions of taxi drivers in the province.

She said its very important that visitors should be handled carefully, as Cebu is positioning as world-class destination, and international gateway to tourists attractions in the Southern Philippines.

DOT-7 had conducted similar seminar to 30 taxi drivers during the ASEAN Summit few years back. “We already have existing 30 DOT trained taxi drivers. They can also be hired for the Yellow Taxi cabs.”

There will be a total of 120 units that will operate as legitimate airport taxi in Cebu in the next few months. The initial operation will field 60 units, she added.

As soon as these drivers will complete the DOT seminar, operations of the Yellow Taxi cab will be scheduled, as it already has the approval of the LTFRB.

Few years back, DOT started to work closely with the Land Transportation Office (LTO) in its bid to cut-off the existence of undisciplined taxi drivers that usually provides bad impressions for the tourists.

The earlier screening program and joint project of DOT and LTO as well as LTFRB was to strengthen the Philippines’ bid to promote good culture of tourism, and disciplining the harsh and taxi drivers who usually take advantage especially the foreign tourists.

In the absence of this program and initiative, a lot of taxi drivers are victimizing tourists, both domestic and foreign, taking advantage of the taxi rates, most of them refused to follow the metering scheme, especially of the destination is a little bit far.

A number of local, as well as foreign visitors have been complaining of some taxi drivers who charge higher rates for a ride from the Mactan International Airport to Cebu City.

A visiting foreigner took a taxi from the Ayala Center Cebu (taxi member) was asked to pay P500 for the driver to take him to Shangri-La’s Mactan Island Resort, which will only incur about P200 using a meter.

With the operation of the Yellow Taxi Cab in Cebu, these problems are expected to be curtailed, specifically that these taxi units will be installed with a facility that will give official receipt to passengers.

Few years back, the Cebu Investments and Promotions Center (CIPC) first attempted to inculcate the culture of tourism in Cebu, supposedly intended for taxi drivers and community residents in several tourism areas in Cebu.

Seminars were also conducted for taxi drivers to behave politely and adopt good customer service attitude not only to tourists, but to all their passengers.