LTFRB: No taxi fare surges

MANILA, Philippines — There will be no price surging in the proposal to adjust taxi fares, unlike transport network companies (TNCs) Uber and Grab, The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) said yesterday.

LTFRB board member and spokesperson Aileen Lizada said while the fare structure they are proposing is different from the current system for taxis, she said there is sudden surge in fares during times of high demands for rides.

“There will be no price surging for the taxi denominations,” Lizada said in an audio message.

LTFRB Chairman Martin Delgra III said during a Senate hearing they have agreed to adjust the taxi fares to make it at par with the rates of Uber and Grab.

Under the existing fare structure, the flagdown rate for taxis is P40 covering the first 500 meters, with P3.50 for the succeeding 300 meters. An additional P3.50 is added for a waiting time of two minutes.

Lizada said in their proposal, the flagdown rate is still P40. However, instead of the added a certain amount for every 300 meters, the pricing will be on a per kilometer basis. There will be another amount for the waiting time.

“The fare will now be P40 plus the amount times number of kilometers and amount times the number of minutes,” said Lizada.

Lizada said amount being considered for every kilometer and running time will be reflected in a decision that the LTFRB is expected to release by the end of the month.

The meters of all taxi units will need to be calibrated first before the fare structure takes effect, she said.