Probe on alleged malpractices of yellow cabs sought

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Councilor Arsenio Pacaña wants all yellow taxicabs to be investigated because of alleged violation of policy and franchise for picking up passengers on the way back to the airport.

Pacaña, for this matter, will be proposing during today’s regular council session a resolution that will urge the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, Land Transportation Office, and the Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority to conduct the said investigation.

He fears that the modus of some yellow taxi drivers of allegedly picking up passengers when going back to the MCIA may create a bad impression as it is not supposed to compete with ordinary taxis.

Worse, Pacaña said, for some, who are not aware of the difference of yellow taxis to ordinary taxis, will only realize that the flag-down rate for yellow taxis is P70 and P4 for the succeeding 200 meters in the end.

This kind of scenario, he said, is very disadvantageous to the riding public especially because not everyone knows that the rate of a yellow taxi is more than double the rate of an ordinary taxi which flag-down rate only starts at P30 and P2.50 for succeeding 200 meters.

Yellow taxis were employed to serve arriving passengers at the airport terminal. This was one of the measures implemented in a bid to rod Metro Cebu of undisciplined cabbies who usually take advantage of passengers arriving at the airport terminal through the “pakyaw system.”

In the “pakyaw system”, the driver demands for a fixed fare when he is supposed to use the meter. Based on complaints, Pacaña said, drivers are asking for a much higher fare especially when the destination is far from the airport. – Jessica Ann R. Pareja/MEEV ( FREEMAN NEWS)