Dizon wants special taxis at airports removed

Dizon wants special taxis at airports removed

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MANILA, Philippines — Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon on Friday said he plans to propose the removal of special taxis at airports to prevent overcharging and extortion faced by commuters and travelers.

His statement came a day after five airport police officers were relieved from their posts for allegedly extorting taxi drivers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia).

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

“That’s the solution I’ll be proposing to all agencies; there should no longer be special taxis exclusively for the airport,” Dizon said in an interview with reporters.

“What we need is to follow what other countries are doing—regular taxis with uniform fares, a proper system at the airport where taxis line up, and an organized queue for our fellow Filipinos. Let’s use the meter,” he added.

He explained that eliminating this special status for airport taxis would allow the use of a unified metering system for all taxis—a change Dizon hopes would prevent commuters and travelers from unfair charges.

This, he added, would also eliminate “opportunities for exploitation,” particularly those involving erring government employees.

When asked about the timeline for this proposal, Dizon said he would first consult with the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, the Manila International Airport Authority, and San Miguel Corp.’s new Naia Infra Corp.

Meanwhile, Dizon said he intends to launch a crackdown at airports, particularly on taxi operations, in the coming days.

This came after a taxi driver at Naia complained about being forced to surrender 40 percent of their earnings to airport police under threat of arrest or being barred from entry, leading to the dismissal of five airport officers.

Just days earlier, Dizon also announced the suspension of a taxi driver’s license for allegedly charging a passenger P1,200 for a trip from Naia Terminal 3 to Terminal 2./mcm/abc

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