Mindanaotoday.com | LTFRB-10 to taxi drivers: Don’t snub passengers
By: Jigger Jerusalem
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Due to a complaint from commuter, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board-10 (LTFRB-10) has warned taxi drivers not to refuse passengers especially during the Yuletide season and to observe proper decorum when on the road.
LTFRB-10’s reaction came following a recent situation where a taxi driver declined a lady passenger who turned out to be seven-month pregnant.
“The pregnant passenger, who was also a nurse-frontliner, expressed her sentiments that she already boarded the taxi unit with her groceries when the driver refused to carry her to her destination and let her transfer to another taxi unit,” the LTFRB-10 said on its Facebook post recently.
This action of the driver, the LTFRB-10 said, has caused so much inconvenience on the part of the passenger.
“The driver, on the other hand, acknowledged his fault. He sincerely apologized for his mistake and for the inconvenience that he has caused to the passenger,” the agency said.
It added that the operator of the taxi was also present to personally ask for an apology to the passenger. He promised to give a serious disciplinary action to his driver.
Aminoden Guro, LTFRB-10 regional director, explained that public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers should not refuse to carry passengers and should consider as their utmost priority the safety and convenience of each passenger they serve.
“And should the said pregnant passenger continue to file her formal complaint, the LTFRB shall decide the case and the driver may be found to have violated the following: failure to convey passenger, and discourteous driver,” Guro said.
The director added that each violation has a penalty of P5,000 and the driver’s license of the taxi driver shall also be forwarded to the Land Transportation Office for their appropriate action.
Guro said the passenger chose to withdraw her complaint and forgave the driver.
“She gave consideration to the driver since it is Christmas season and the P10,000 penalty may be too burdensome to the driver and his family. She just hopes that drivers shall not refuse the passengers since it is their duty to the public and that they shall also give utmost attention to pregnant women, children and the PWD. The passenger also acknowledges that still there are more good drivers than bad ones. The parties have already settled,” he added.
Guro has also reminded transport cooperatives and corporation to see to it that their drivers are mindful of the rules concerning public conveyance and do a background check when hiring potential drivers.
“It’s up to the operators to discipline their drivers. We don’t individually call out the drivers, it’s the operators whose attention we call every time there’s a complaint from the riding public,” he added. (MT)
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