LTO suspends licenses of 10 erring Naia taxi, TNVS drivers

Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Photo by Niño Jesus Orbeta.

MANILA, Philippines — The Land Transportation Office (LTO) has suspended the licenses of 10 drivers of taxi and Transportation Network Vehicle Service (TNVS) for overcharging and contracting passengers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) in Pasay City.

In a statement on Sunday, the LTO said that show cause notices were already issued to the drivers who were caught during a surprise operation at the Naia last June 25.

“We already informed these drivers of the suspension of their licenses for 90 days through the SCOs that we issued them. In other words, they don’t have work during that period, and this is because of taking advantage of our commuters,” LTO Chief Assistant Secretary Atty. Vigor Mendoza said in the same statement written in Filipino.

READ: Dizon: License of cabbie who overcharged Naia passenger to be revoked

The LTO added that “[a]ll the drivers apprehended are facing a case of being an improper person to operate a motor vehicle which has a maximum penalty of revocation of driver’s license.”

The agency noted that Mendoza earlier ordered the deployment of LTO enforcers in three Naia terminals after three viral incidents of overcharging: a taxi driver who charged a passenger of P1,300 for a short trip from Naia Terminal 2 to Terminal 3; while the other driver charged a passenger of over P5,000 in a separate trip from Terminal 1 to Terminal 2.

READ: DOTr sacks 5 airport cops for alleged extortion of Naia cabbies

The LTO also said that a motorcycle taxi ride is being investigated for charging a passenger P2,000 from NAIA to Cainta, Rizal.

Mendoza then emphasized that cases of overcharging and contracting passengers can taint the image of the country to foreign tourists.

“We will not let this kind of abuse pass. If this can be done to our constituents, what more to our foreign tourists. This can be bad for the image of our country,” Mendoza noted. /mr