THE Land Transportation Office (LTO) will intensify its campaign against erring operators and drivers, particularly those who operate “colorum” Public Utility Vehicles (PUVs) and taxi drivers who refuse to convey passengers, or those whom commuters call “isnabero” cab drivers.
According to LTO Chief Assistant Secretary Atty. Vigor Mendoza II, he already ordered the agency’s Law Enforcement Service to deploy personnel in areas with heavy convergence of commuters such as malls and other urban areas in the country and crack down on such vehicles and taxi drivers.
Dubbed as “Oplan PASAWAY,” Mendoza said the LTO has already cleared the holding of the operation with Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Jaime Bautista and his office has already coordinated with Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) chairman Teofilo Guadiz III.
Mendoza said that based from his own experiences and complaints from passengers, an upsurge of complaints against taxi drivers who refuse to convey passengers is noticed during the Christmas season.
“Marami sa mga taxi drivers ang nangongontrata at talagang hindi nagpapasakay kung hindi papayag sa gusto nilang presyuhan. Mahigpit pong ipinagbabawal ito dahil violation ito ng kanilang prangkisa,” said Mendoza.
“Dahil sa dami ng pasahero tuwing panahon ng Pasko, ito rin ang panahon kung saan nagsusulputan ang napakaraming colorum na public utility vehicles at ito rin ang inutos ko na dapat tutukan,” he added.
Mendoza said that in his order to LTO-Law Enforcement Service Director Francis Almora, he made sure that the Law Enforcement Service should deploy a sufficient number of LTO enforcers even after office hours, especially during nighttime when the number of passengers increases.
He said that through a strategic deployment, the LTO can maximize the presence of its enforcers especially in Metro Manila where there are a number of malls and other places of convergence.
Mendoza explained that the mere presence of unformed LTO enforcers is enough to compel erring taxi drivers to behave and operators and drivers of colorum of vehicles to be discouraged in engaging in illegal activities.
“We will also coordinate with the Philippine National Police through its Highway Patrol Group, as well as mall security managers in order to augment our enforcers in this operation,” said Mendoza.
But Mendoza appealed to the public to immediately report to the LTO enforcers, policemen and mall guards present in the area if they became victims of erring taxi drivers.
“Pagtulungan po nating wakasan ang ganitong maling sistema dahil hindi matatapos ang mga ganitong gawain kung hahayaan lang natin ang mga ito na mambiktima ng mga kawawang pasahero,” said Mendoza.
“Makakaasa po ang ating mga kababayan na kasangga ninyo ang inyong LTO para wakasan ang ganitong gawain dahil kasama ito sa mensahe ng ating Pangulo Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos, Jr. sa ilalim ng Bagong Pilipinas,” he added.