CEBU CITY: The Land Transportation Office (LTO) in Central Visayas intensified its operations against public utility vehicles (PUVs) overcharging passengers during the Palarong Pambansa 2024 event this week.
Glen Galario, regional director of LTO-7, said in a statement Thursday that his office has received complaints from Palaro delegates falling victim to overcharging fares of taxis in Metro Cebu.
‘We received reports that these taxi drivers are taking advantage of this national event happening now in Cebu and overcharging our delegates. We cannot let this happen and rest assured that our personnel are also working very hard in catching these illegal activities,’ he said.
As this developed, two drivers were apprehended and issued with temporary operator’s permit (TOP) on Thursday.
The first incident reportedly overcharged passengers who rode from Cebu City to Carcar City. The driver charged them with a fixed rate of PHP3,000.
The second incident involved passengers from the pier area to Danao City who w
ere charged a fixed fare of PHP950.
Galario reminded passengers to immediately file a complaint against erring drivers and take photos or videos as proof of evidence.
‘Whether it’s unmetered or overcharging, that is still considered as a violation of their franchise. We cannot let our delegates be victims of these traps, especially in an annual multi-sport event like this,’ he said.
Drivers found guilty of overcharging will pay a fine of PHP5,000 for the first offense, PHP10,000 for the second offense, and PHP15,000 for the third offense.
They may also face a violation of franchise conditions and may be slapped with a PHP6,000 fine and a possible revocation of their franchise and driver’s license.
Source: Philippines News Agency