LTFRB: Exempt tourist taxis from emergency help device

CEBU, Philippines - The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board-7 has recommended that the Cebu City Airport Taxi Operators Incorporated be exempted from the implementation of an ordinance requiring all public utility vehicles to install an emergency assistance device.

LTFRB-7 director Ahmed Cuizon said that metered taxis operated by CCATOI are limited to only transporting passengers, who are mostly tourists, from the Mactan Cebu International Airport to their respective destinations.

“It is also noted that city-bound passengers originating from the airport are presumed to have already undergone redundant security checks which are mandatory in airport facilities, such as but not limited to checkpoints, walk-through detectors, x-ray machines and even manual frisking,” he said.

Cuizon said that tourist metered taxis are prohibited from picking up and carrying passengers back to the airport.

His statement was in response to a referral made by the Cebu City Council after it received CCATOI’s request for the body and the City Traffic Operations Management to exempt its units from complying with City Ordinance 1975.

Under the ordinance, which requires the installation of an emergency assistance device, violators “shall be penalized with a fine of one thousand pesos, or an imprisonment of not more than six months but not less than three months, or both at the discretion of the court.”

The City Council has also referred CCATOI’s request to CITOM for its comments and recommendations.

CCATOI claims that since it began operation six years ago, it has not experienced any incident of robbery of its passengers. The organization has 120 tourist metered taxi units with LTFRB certification of public convenience.

The Department of Tourism is the one controlling and monitoring the tourist metered taxi units of CCATOI.   CCATOI said that DOT desires that its taxi units should be clean and presentable, adding that the agency does not allow any lighting, specifically on the roof, to maintain their presentable appearance.

CITOM has earlier submitted its position paper to the City Council, stressing that it could not act on the request for “lack of authority.”

Lawyer Rico Abellanosa, CITOM legal officer, had said that CITOM only imposes traffic laws as set by ordinances passed by the City Council.

Sought for comment on the LTFRB-7 recommendation of, CITOM Executive Director Rafael Yap said that they will study it.  (FREEMAN)