Public vehicles to face new, heavier fines

A Toyota Vios airport taxi. / Wikipedia Photo

MANILA — Tired of cabs who refuse to take passengers to their destination because of “traffic jam” or because of not agreeing  to pay “extra charges”?

The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), and Land Transportation Office (LTO) solves this problem through a joint administrative order which fines operators of public buses, jeepneys, taxis, vans, and sedans. 

First offense violators are fined P5,000; P10,000 fine and impounding of the vehicle for 30 days for the second offense; and P15,000 fine plus cancellation of the certificate of public convenience (CPCs) where the unit is registered for the third and subsequent offenses.

The violations indicated in the administrative order, which will be effective on June 19 or 15 days after the DOTC publishes the order in two newspapers of general circulation, include:

• refusal to render service to the public or convey passenger to destination
• overcharging or undercharging of fare
• failure to provide proper body markings
• inability to present franchise or certificate of public convenience (CPCs) upon apprehension inside vehicle
• employing reckless, insolent, discourteous, or arrogant drivers
• allowing unauthorised driver to drive a PUB or allowing a driver to operate a PUV without a driver’s license
• operating a vehicle with defective parts and accessories
• failure to provide a fare discount to those entitled under existing laws
• not providing the LTFRB with the complete, correct, and updated operator’s information
• not displaying the “no smoking sign,” or allowing personnel to smoke inside vehicles
• tampered or defective taximeter or operation without or with an old seal
• using a tampered, broken, reconnected or fake taximeter
• using a different colour scheme or design from that approved by the LTFRB (buses and taxis only)
• using an unregistered or unauthorized business name (buses and taxis only)
• no panel routes (jeepneys, buses, PUVs)
• no sign board (jeepneys, buses, PUVs)
• picking up and dropping passengers outside of designated terminals (jeepneys, buses, PUVs)
• carrying of illegal and/or prohibited cargoes
• failure to provide fire extinguisher and required “stop” and “go” signage for the use of each vehicle (STS only)
• trip cutting (jeepneys, buses, PUVs)
• failing to display fare matrix (jeepneys, buses, PUVs)
• breach of franchise conditions under the 2011 revised terms and conditions of the CPCs

Meanwhile, the order assigns higher penalties for franchises that fail to designate specific seats for persons with disabilities or those that fail to display the International Symbol of Accessibility inside the units.

A total of P50,000 will be fined for the first offense; P75,000 fine and impounding of the unit for 45 days and a P500/day impounding fee for the second offense; and for the third offense, P100,000 fine plus the cancellation of the CPC for the third and subsequent offenses.

Passengers victimized by vehicles through the violations indicated in the order are also encouraged to file a complaint before the LTFRB.

The LTFRB is the agency tasked to regulate and approve the franchises awarded to the operators.

With reports from Bea Cupin