Angara wants overcharging by airport taxis probed

MANILA, Philippines – Sen. Juan Edgardo Angara called on concerned government agencies yesterday to look into the alleged overcharging by taxi drivers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), which he said may drive away tourists and give the country a bad image.

“There are a lot of stories circulating online about airport taxis overcharging and duping passengers, whether they are local tourists, overseas Filipino workers or foreigners visiting the country,” he said.

Angara has filed a resolution seeking a Senate probe into the matter.

“Transportation and airport officials should look into this and resolve this right away, or else Philippine tourism will suffer,” he said.

Angara, vice chairman of the Senate tourism committee, cited a recent post on Facebook by Top Gear Philippines showing a group was offered a fixed rate of P1,800 by an airport yellow cab from NAIA Terminal 2 to their office in Mandaluyong. The post went viral on social media.

The group refused the offer and instead joined the long queue for a metered taxi, which charged them only P320.

The same Facebook post showed an American was quoted a bloated fare of P3,200 from the airport to Makati City.

Regular taxis charge a flag down rate of P40 and additional P3.50 for every 300 meters. Airport cabs charge a P70 flag down rate and P4 for every 300 meters.

The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) has allowed unaccredited metered taxis to pick up passengers at the arrival areas of NAIA Terminals 2 and 3, but only during peak hours to meet the high demand from airline companies and travelers.

The MIAA barred empty white cabs from entering the NAIA complex. Regular taxis are only allowed to pick up passengers if they have passengers with them when they arrive at the airport.

Aiport management said such restriction was in response to security concerns and complaints over regular taxis that overcharge, extort or are being used for robbery. Over 1,600 airport-accredited taxis and vehicles for rent are accountable to the MIAA.

“The taxi accreditation system was meant to protect the passengers from abusive drivers. I think it is time for the authorities to look into the high rates imposed by these accredited taxis and rental cars and ensure that they charge reasonable fares,” Angara said.