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For an area as big and busy as Cebu City, where the influx of tourists is the biggest in the country, it?s surprising to hear taxi operators complain to City Hall that there are too many taxis on the street.
Perhaps tourists (and locals) have gotten money-smart and learned to ride jeepneys, or car rentals have spiked in recent months.
Either way, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has to answer a lot of questions about the supposed increase in taxi units.
According to the Metro Cebu Taxi Operators Association (MCTOA), the number of taxis in the city rose from more than 4,000 to 6,000 despite a moratorium agreed upon in 2005.
Is this a true case of unhealthy competition?
With elections coming up, City Hall officials would naturally lend a sympathetic ear. They have called on the LTFRB to explain why they issued more taxi franchises despite the moratorium between them and city-based operators.
This would be a good opportunity to find out if fuel price hikes and hard times have deflated public demand for taxis.
One can see long queues of empty taxis waiting for passengers outside the malls on some days. And then, during rush hour, an empty cab just can?t be found. Or the driver suddenly turns picky, and actually chooses which commuter to service, depending on whether the destination is convenient to him or not.
With a Cebu City population of 800,000, which swells to much more during daylight working hours, it?s hard to believe that taxis lack passengers. Yet operators maintain that they are losing business because of excess units on the street.
There were speculations that higher-fare yellow cabs operating at the Cebu Mactan International Airport were owned by Manny Pacquiao and former Ilocos Sur governor Luis Chavit Singson.
This grapevine belief has been the source of quiet resentment among other commercial taxis operating in the airport, who claim that these new units have eaten a significant share of their market.
The LTFRB regional officials should ask the operators for more inside information. Or do they already know the answer?
These are speculations that can be cleared up by the board in a hearing.
Taxi operators and the LTFRB can also submit a technical study to back up their claims that Cebu City is suffering from an excess of taxis.
At a time when public transportation is struggling with rising fuel and maintenance costs, the LTFRB should do all it can to ease the burden on taxi operators to ensure that they earn enough and not lose their customers.
It is in the interest of the riding public to see this doesn?t happen.
