FAIR FARE?: Ilonggos Divided on Unmetered Taxi Fares to Iloilo Airport

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

Is a PHP 600 fare from Iloilo City to the Iloilo International Airport fair and justifiable?

On January 16, a vlogger known as Mamita Lakwatsera shared a video on Facebook recounting their experience with a taxi driver who allegedly charged a fixed rate of PHP 600 for the 17-kilometer trip.

The incident occurred around 4:20 a.m. as the vlogger boarded a taxi from Zuri Hotel in Mandurriao to catch a 6:40 a.m. flight to Cebu.

“Iloilo City, what an embarrassing moment and experience,” the caption read.

According to the vlogger, the driver, under the Light of Glory Taxi Services Inc., said his meter was unfunctional. Frustrated, they questioned whether this was standard practice in Iloilo City and described the experience as “shameful.”

The video has since gained traction online, with 285 likes, 280 comments, 54 shares, and over 15,000 views as of writing.

Some Ilonggos commented that the unmetered fare scheme has been a long-standing practice among taxi drivers. Others argued that the PHP 600 fare is reasonable, considering the airport’s location outside the city limits and the difficulties drivers face in finding return passengers.

“It’s been their practice for a while now…they’re asking a fixed price of PHP 600 from PHP 500. Reason nila: They do not have passengers back to the city,” one Facebook user said.

“This has been going on for a long time. I think the city government and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) should address this problem as soon as possible,” another said.

Meanwhile, some passengers criticized the practice, calling the fixed rate overpriced.

“I was also charged PHP 700 from the airport to Tagbak Ceres before. Taxis are overpricing,” the comment read.

At SM City Iloilo, vans are available to transport passengers to the airport for a fare of PHP 100. However, these vans wait to be fully occupied before leaving, which can be inconvenient for those in a hurry.

Before ride-hailing services or transport network vehicle services (TNVS) like Grab, InDrive, and UTOL were introduced in Iloilo City, taxi drivers near SM City Iloilo would negotiate with passengers in a hurry, for trips costing PHP 500-PHP 600. They consider it as “arkila” or rented trips.

Drivers consider the trip as an “arkila” or a rented trip, explaining that the cost is higher due to their inability to pick up passengers from the airport for the return trip to Iloilo City.

Daily Guardian learned that taxis traveling to Iloilo Airport are not allowed to pick up passengers there unless they have a sticker or permit issued by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP).

Daily Guardian has reached out to CAAP-Iloilo for a detailed discussion on their rules for transport services to the Iloilo Airport they have yet to respond as of writing.

Meanwhile, for GrabCar services during off-peak hours, a four-seater vehicle typically costs around PHP 450-PHP 500 from SM City. A six-seater costs PHP 600-PHP 700.

PROBE UNDERWAY

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board Region 6 (LTFRB-6) said the action of the taxi driver is “improper,” citing that based on the terms and conditions of tax operations, the collectible rates are meter-based.

“If the PHP 600 is not based on the meter-billing, that is improper,” Atty. Salvador “Jun” Altura, LTFRB-6 legal officer, told Daily Guardian in a Viber message.

Altura confirmed that unmetered trips of taxi drivers were already a “practice” which can be “appreciated for being practical, to avoid losses due to the lack of return passengers from out-of-town trips like the airport.”

He, however, emphasized that on the legal side, it is not allowed as taxi fares must be meter-based.

Altura also confirmed that the taxi operator has been summoned for a meeting on Monday morning.

The Land Transportation Office (LTO) on Friday also issued a show-cause order to the Light of Glory Taxi Services Inc.

The LTO said the action of the driver not only violated transportation regulations but also tarnished the reputation of the city as a tourist-friendly destination.

“Such acts, if proven to be true, constitute a serious infraction of the regulatory standards governing the operation of public utility vehicles,” read the order.

Under Section 27 of Republic Act (RA) 4136, as amended by RA 10930, or the Land Transportation and Traffic Code, the driver’s license can be suspended for up to three months or revoked after a hearing if the driver is deemed unfit to operate a vehicle or engages in acts that endanger public safety.

Altura said the LTFRB-6 cannot guarantee to the public that a similar offense will no longer be committed.

“Nobody can make that assurance, I think,” he said. He instead stressed that violators will be penalized as per regulations.

“Taxi passenger contracting happens all over, that is why there is a regulation penalizing it,” he added.

In a statement, the management of the Light of Glory Taxi Services Inc. said they are currently investigating the incident, noting that they do not tolerate its driver refusing the conveyance of passengers.

According to the company, if the driver is found at fault, appropriate sanctions, including dismissal, will be applied in line with labor laws.

The company also announced plans to conduct a seminar to prevent similar issues.

Note: They or them was used as the pronouns of the vlogger are unknown to the writer.