LTFRB Begins Recalibration, Resealing of Taxi Meters for New Fare Structure

In what may be considered long overdue, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has begun recalibrating and resealing taxi meters in compliance with the fare adjustment the agency approved in October 2017. The recalibration and resealing of the meters is being conducted in a facility of the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) along NAIA Road in Paranaque City until November.

 With over 21,000 taxis to be processed in the metro, the facility can reportedly accommodate around 200 taxi units at one time, with the drivers and operators required to submit the necessary requirements and be present during the scheduled date of calibration and resealing. "Calibration and resealing of meters is done to make sure that the fare is in accordance with what the LTFRB has set," the agency said in a statement. After the taxi meter has been recalibrated, the taxi will undergo a road test to ensure that the correct fare will be displayed. If it passes the test, the resealing of the meter will be done afterward and a 'Taximeter Calibration Certification' sticker will be placed on the top right corner of the taxi's windshield. As for the fare adjustment itself, the flagdown rate is now set at PHP40, with every kilometer of distance traveled now at PHP13.50. Ironically, taxis in the National Capital Region and everywhere else except in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) now have a waiting time charge of PHP2 per minute, which Grab Philippines used to charge their passengers prior to the practice's banning by the LTFRB. For taxis operating in CAR, the flagdown rate will be at PHP35 with the same rates for distance traveled and travel time. In its approval of the fare adjustment in October 2017, the LTFRB explained that it is due to the recent spate of oil price hikes and to enable taxi drivers and operators to be competitive with transportation network companies. "It is urgent that the fare for taxis be increased for them to improve the quality of their service and become competitive amid increasing demand of passengers," said LTFRB Chairman Martin Delgra III in a previous interview. On top of the fare adjustment, the LTFRB is reminding taxi drivers and operators to be compliant with the Omnibus Franchising Guidelines (OFG) under the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program.

 Under the OFG, public utility vehicles should have closed-circuit television cameras, a GPS navigation system, speed limiters, dashboard cameras, and free Wi-Fi connectivity.