LTFRB must act vs. abusive taxi drivers, not passengers —solons

Two lawmakers from the House of Representative on Sunday slammed Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board chairman Martin Delgra for saying that commuters should assert their rights on taxi drivers who snub passengers.

In a statement, AANGAT TAYO party-list Representative Neil Abayon criticized Delgra for his "incongruous" statement.

"I say taxis and other public transport utilities should be the ones accommodating or adjusting to the needs of the riding public they are supposed to serve and not the other way around," Abayon said.

"So I do not see any sense to why the riding public has to be the one to "assert" their right," he added.

In a recent television interview, Delgra said the riding public should take steps in changing the "culture" of some taxi drivers rejecting passengers, especially those traveling a relatively long distance.

Some cab drivers would only agree to take the passenger in for an extra, negotiated payment.

"Ang nangyayari kasi, there has been a change of social behavior ng mga tao, na kapag naghanap ka ng taxi, ang ina-anticipate mo ay tatanggihan ka, when in fact 'yang taxi na 'yan serves a public service," Delgra said.

"Ibig sabihin, since nagseserbisyo publiko sila, they (passengers) have to demand that service from them. Meaning, as what the President has been saying, kapag may ganung klaseng situation, assert your right. Bago kayo magreklamo sa LTFRB, assert your right as passengers," he added.

Delgra likewise urged the public to file a complaint against erring drivers.

But for Abayon, it is "unrealistic" that a common passenger will know the rights he or she should assert, as a most of them "are not lawyers to be well aware of all their rights."

"In Chairman Delgra's mind, it seems taxis can get away with violations because we commuters are not assertive enough, but TNVS (transport network vehicle service) must be penalized outright by the LTFRB because they do not comply with the law and LTFRB directives," he said.

"Uber has admitted their mistake and has been fined and suspended. Yet these taxis, there is already clear evidence showing blatant violations of the law yet the Chairman requires us to be more 'assertive.' How come versus Uber, it was LTFRB who was very assertive in penalizing them," he added.

Bagong Henerasyon party-list Representative Bernadette Herrera-Dy, for her part, said she was "surprised" and "bothered" by Delgra's statement, which she said was "stiff, robotic and lacks empathy for commuters."

"Chairman Delgra seems to have forgotten that the LTFRB is a law-enforcement agency, aside from being a quasi-judicial body, with specific responsibilities over transport services providers given the privilege of serving the public," she said.

"It is he and his fellow officials at the LTFRB who should really be going after all those taxi drivers, passenger buses, PUJs (public utility jeepneys) who have not been honoring the terms of the respective franchises issued by the LTFRB itself," she added.

Herrera-Dy likewise said Delgra seems "misguided" when he urged passengers to file verified complaints against abusive drivers.

"He should be lawyering for the commuters, but it looks more like he is lawyering for someone else, because his position given the violators the defense or protection they need against the complaining and underserved public," she said.

Herrera-Dy advised Delgra to rethink his position as LTFRB chief if he cannot find in himself any empathy for commuters or is confused about the functions of his agency. —Erwin Sanchez Colcol/LBG, GMA News