Bishop urges taxi operators to lower drivers’ boundary fee

Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

A Catholic bishop on Wednesday urged taxi operators in the country to lower their boundary fee after the Land Transportation and Franchising Board (LTFRB) made permanent the P10-rollback in flag down rate.

READ: P30 taxi flag-down rate permanent

Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo, chairman of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines-Episcopal Commission on the Laity, said taxi operators should also consider the plight of drivers, whose income would be affected by the lowered fare and prices of oil products.

“Iyan ay matagal nang sinabi sa atin noon na babawasan ng P10, ngayon ginawa nilang permanent kasi bumaba na nga ang gasoline. Kaya sana ito ay nangangahulugan rin sa mga taxi owners and operators na babaan na rin nila ang boundary sa mga taxi drivers,” Pabillo said over church-run Radyo Veritas.

“Kasi tinitingnan rin natin ang kalagayan ng mga drivers. Kaya sa pagbaba ng flag down rate sana babaan din ng mga taxi operators ang boundary ng mga drivers nila,” he added.

(We have long been asking for that P10 rollback, now they have made that permanent because gasoline prices are low. Hopefully this would also translate to taxi owners and operators lowering boundary fees for drivers.

We are also looking at the situation of the drivers. Hence, in the decrease in the flag down rate, taxi operators will also hopefully lower drivers’ boundary fees.)

The LTFRB on Tuesday ordered a net reduction in taxi fares, making permanent the then provisional P30 flag-down rate and adjusting the distance and time for succeeding rates. The order will take effect nationwide on March 19 except in the Cordillera region, where the flag-down rate was reduced from P35 to P30.

The LTFRB also called on the public to report drivers who would insist on charging beyond the approved rates. CDG

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