Don’t let them take you for a ride!

I have received a third email in less than a year that recounts situations where readers have been literally “taken for a ride” by taxi drivers… Often, as tourists, whether local or foreign, we are extremely vulnerable when trying to move around an unfamiliar city, and taxi drivers can take advantage of you. You are not inclined to “fight back” or assert your rights as it appears riskier than its worth to do so. The most recent email was of a tourist’s experience in Cebu, and it really pisses me off no end, hence this post.

First, let me recount my own experience in Cebu, so it sets the tone for the post. A couple of years ago, arriving from Bohol aboard a fast ferry, I tried to hail the first cab in line at the pier. I told the driver I was headed to an address near the Capitol building, and he immediately quoted me a price of PHP400, roughly 4x the metered rate at that time. I calmly told him I wanted the metered rate and he refused. I told him he should re-think his answer or suffer the consequences and he still refused to budge. So I went in front of the cab, took down his license plate number and name of operator, I got his name from his Taxi ID on the dashboard and told him I was going to file a complaint with the LTO in Cebu. And send a copy to the Mayor’s office. I also called a port cop over to explain what happened and took his name as a witness. At that point, noting the high likelihood that I could indeed be a pain in his rear, the cab driver acquiesced and said he would take me where I wanted. I refused. Told him I had given him a second chance, and now I wouldn’t get into his cab for my own safety and security. I took the second cab in line and he didn’t even try to scam me in any way. I asked my secretary at the office to call the LTO, get the right information, and I sent in a letter of complaint, cc:ed to the Mayor’s office and local Department of Tourism representative. At the time, Cebu was trying hard to improve cab services and for a couple of years after there were fewer incidents such as this taking place. I have also repeatedly experienced cab drivers at malls refusing a fare, saying it was too near or too far, etc. Again, take their plate number and write in. If a cab driver or cab company receives enough complaints at the LTO, their license can be suspended or lost altogether. They will not be allowed to drive for a cab operator again.

WHAT ARE YOUR RIGHTS?

Cab licenses are given out by the government. They are a privilege to operate the cab in the designated territory. They have rules. The privilege CAN be withdrawn. To my knowledge, unless grossly mistaken, a cab driver CANNOT refuse a fare because they feel like it. Because the destination is too close. Because it is too far within the territory it is meant to cover (say city limits). They cannot pick and choose clients, unless they themselves feel at risk of harm’s way, for example, when a potential client is clearly drunk and maybe violent. Cab drivers CANNOT negotiate fares, and must use their meters. That is why they have a metered cab license. Cab drivers CANNOT add on premiums for late night driving, gas, aircon, baggage, etc. unless STATED explicitly by the LTO or local governing agency. Cab drivers CANNOT demand a tip or a different tariff.

Despite what I write above, many consumers either don’t know this, don’t care, can’t be bothered and so perpetuate a situation where they are being taken advantage of, without even bothering to speak up. It’s like public transportation rape. You suffer in silence. So we all deserve bad service if we don’t speak up. It is, to some degree, our own fault. So, SPEAK UP FOLKS!

How to complain in Cebu?

I have gathered a couple of numbers for those of you who have had bad experiences with cabs in Cebu. Write a simple letter outlining the complaint, the name of the driver if you have it, the cab company and the plate number and send it to the LTO in Cebu, call them first at 032.256.3766 to get address details or fax number. Follow up a few times to let them know you won’t let it pass. Copy the letter to the cab company as well. If you can’t do it for yourself, think of the dozens of folks you might help in the future as a result of a simple, factual and objective complaint. The LTO is in charge of all WHITE cabs in Cebu. If you are fooled by either a yellow airport cab, tourist bus, rent-a-car service, then direct your complaint to the Department of Tourism office in Cebu, at 032.254.2811.

NEVER get into a cab you have confronted and informed that you will file a complaint against them. BUT DO FILE the complaint instead of just posturing that you will do so. That we even have to think about this is pathetic third world stuff, or is it? I have had bad cab drivers in New York, Morocco, Seattle, Jakarta, etc. as well. I am particularly galled by cab drivers who are in line at a mall and then refuse to take you to your desired destination. Shouldn’t the mall also step in and ban such capricious behavior? But again, it boils down to US, and if you don’t speak up, it won’t get better. Don’t even ask me about the three folks who cut in line ahead of us in broad daylight at the recent S&R mega sale in Cebu, resulting in our losing the two carts we had reserved from 430am in the morning. Did the store do anything about the line cutters? No. Did the three folks get embarrassed when I raised a stink and directly pointed at them for store security? No. Did the rest of the line do anything? They clapped and cheered loudly when I lost it, but that’s about it. Pinoys love a fight, but they son’t want to be in the fight. :) Horrible. A national shame. We encourage or at least don’t discourage line cutters and we don’t point out folks who pick and choose when it is their JOB to serve the public ridership at large. We want tourists (that don’t come for sex, yeah right, I loved that dumb pride filled but totally misdirected brouhaha) but we can’t even ensure decent, safe, fair cab service… Oh, and don’t mention tourist buses taken over by terrorists.

Note: I suspect the errant cab drivers are still few and far between, maybe as little as less than 5-10% of all the cabs around. So it’s like bad apples, they spoil the rest of the bushel. And I only refer to the few evil ones, not the majority who I suspect are honest, upright, fair citizens. And I do note that every once in a while cab drivers are hailed for their honesty and return of critical documents and money left in their vehicles… kudos to them indeed.

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43 Responses

  1. One famous blogger once said that to get even with a taxi driver who refuses you a ride, do not slam the doors hard. Leave it wide open instead and walk away.

  2. Hop in a cab in Metro Manila and the first question the driver asks after you tell him your destination: “Anong daan po’ ang gusto nyo?”

    Reply with “Ay, di ko po’ alam, kararating ko rin lang galing probinsiya” with an Ilonggo accent, and you’re toast!

  3. Thank you for this post, MM. I also do not let a cab driver refuse me without a fight ;-p I had once such experience when after lining up in SM on a rainy day and telling the driver I am going to Pasig he said he cant go there kasi bumabaha. I was with my kids and was late for a childrens party. Either we find another taxi or I add some P150 daw. So I raised hell! I was shouting at him inside the cab and when I saw a police station I told him to pull over and I will report him. He didnt stop and I guess he realized I was serious. Ayun, nagmakaawa pa at hinatid din kami. My kids still refer to this story as, “Naalala mo Ma ung inaway mong taxi dati?” hehe.

  4. Based on experience taxi drivers in Cebu are generally honest. Taxi drivers here in Bacolod are generally ok except for a few.

    My best taxi experience was in Bangkok when my wife and I was asked by a taxi driver if we wanted to go to what I first heard was a “licensure.” I asked him again and he motioned with an action of a finger pounding an open palm. He was asking us if we wanted to watch a “Live Sex Show!” Of course we didn’t watch.

  5. I have done this and will do it all the time. When I open the door and the driver asks where Im going and will refuse my destination, I do not close the door. I know its somewhat petty but if he wants to leave and tries to drive away, let him be inconvenienced by getting out of the driver’s seat and close it himself.

  6. I’ve riden on cabs here in Metro Manila where they either “forgot” to flag the meter. I pointed out that their meter was not running. Only then would the driver flag it down saying that he was just about to do so. Once, there was a driver who told me that his meter was “not working” and I should just pay him a fixed rate. I refused, I got his name and license number and told him to let me off saying that if he won’t let me off I’ll report him to his operator and LTO. That cab was one of those independent taxis, I mean not belonging to those cab campaniles who own a fleet like MGE, EFE, etc.

  7. THERE ARE CAB COMPANIES WHO HAVE PHONE OPERATORS ONE CAN CALL UP IN MANILA. THE OPERATOR INFORMS THEIR DRIVERS BY RADIO AND WHOEVER IS CLOSEST TO THE GIVEN ADDRESS GETS TO SERVICE THE CUSTOMER.
    SO FAR, THE DRIVERS ARE HONEST (THEY DON’T INSIST ON TAKING YOU ON A TOUR OF THE CITY), AND THEY ARE GENERALLY PLEASANT TO CONVERSE WITH.
    I HAD MY SHARE OF THE ‘UNPLEASANT’ ONES, AND AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE WOULD RATHER MAKE THAT CALL.

  8. Living in Manila, I have become used to taxi drivers asking for additional fees, asking for a fixed charge, or being choosy on the destination. However, my personal experience with the yellow taxi company accredited by NAIA airports really got my blood boiling. We arrived from a domestic flight late one night. As usual, we opted to take the yellow taxi instead of the white taxi at the NAIA 3 airport because it comes out cheaper. When traveling to Makati, the yellow taxi’s meter only comes to around P200 while the white taxi charges a fixed price of P400+. Upon stopping in front of our residence and scrambling to get our bags, I was surprised to see that the “receipt” printed by the meter was displaying P800+ !!! I was appalled and immediately questioned how the fare accumulated that high. The driver said that maybe it was caused by the route we took. I told him that we have ridden the yellow taxis many, many times before and the meter hardly ever goes beyond P200. He continued to play dumb and firmly said that was the right fare. I remembered I had scheduled a taxi pickup before and started dialing the number of the yellow taxi company on my mobile phone to complain about the exorbitant fare. The driver got nervous when he realized I was speaking to someone and he begged me to stop filing the complaint. He said he would charge me only the real fare as he didn’t want to get fired. What he didn’t know was that the person I was speaking to already informed me that they are not affiliated with the yellow taxi company and that I should call another number. The driver handed me another piece of paper, also printed by the meter, and this time showing only P204. He begged me again not to file a complaint because he did not want to lose his job. I told him what he did was wrong and had I not known better, he would have taken advantage. I paid the P204 and dragged my bags away. Later on, I realized that the 1st slip of paper he gave me actually showed his running total for the night as it indicated 4 trips. I also realized he had torn off the top portion where the taxi company’s contact information was displayed. I called NAIA Transport and told them about my experience but they asked me to physically go to their office which was inconvenient for me. They gave the number of the yellow taxi company and so I filed my complaint over the phone with them. The supervisor was apologetic and told me that they had terminated a few drivers already for doing the same thing. I had no guarantee that they actioned my complaint but I was just relieved to be able to inform someone in a position to do something about it. This bad experience has not stopped me from riding the yellow taxi at NAIA 3 again. I’m happy to say though that a similar situation has not occurred since.

  9. Marketman, you are my hero. Please keep doing what you do. So much respect for you and thanks for taking the time to bring these issues to light!! So badly needed. This is how change happens.

  10. MM, Arriving in Manila for the first time a couple of years ago we had two taxis, once we arrived at our destination the lead cab charged us 80p, and the second cab was demanding 300p for the same drive. Rather than get in a hassle with the driver I just paid the man, (I was pissed though). Everytime I visit the Philippines now, I always have the driver start the meter before I even get in. I will be retiring to Cebu come April so thank you for the information on posting a complaint if need be. BTW, I have never had a problem in Cebu so far.

  11. I am the type of person who does not confront because I have always thought that there’s no point doing it. But as you have pointed out, this attitude would cost everybody else the bad service that they don’t deserve. Your argument is very persuasive. I stand corrected!

  12. when a cab driver asked me to add x pesos to the amount indicated on the meter, i just made a noncommittal sound and climbed in. when we got to my destination, i handed over the exact amount, pointing out that i never agreed to pay him extra, and then scrammed. sneaky is as sneaky does!

    cabbies should realize that passengers are more inclined to give a tip if they’re neat and clean, polite, friendly and honest. they won’t even need to ask, magkukusa pa yung pasahero.

  13. as for would-be line cutters, especially when entering the mall, i make sure to crowd them out para di sila makasingit, kahit halos dumidikit na ako sa kaharap ko (personal space be damned). even if they were brazen enough to insert themselves at the head of the line right in front of me, sumisiksik pa rin ako so that i’ll get in first–as-i’m supposed to. tapos magagalit pa sila kasi “sumingit” ka. nakakadismaya lang kasi minsan it’s the students or old ladies who do this (but i’m more inclined to forgive the lolas).

    i was just thinking that maybe we need a shame campaign for people like these, and include spitters, litterbugs, jaywalkers, loud talkers etc. tipong someone should literally blow a whistle and point and single them out and make them undo their action (and lower their voices). haha!

  14. Hi MM, tlaking about line cutting here in the USA, if you see one its most probably a Filipino or other asians I just dont know what nationalities they are.Have been riding taxis in New York never had bad one yet.Have a nice day

  15. Based on my experience, taxi drivers in Cebu are a LOT nicer than their Manila counterparts. Sometimes cab drivers in Manila can be downright scary.

  16. @lookie… I noticed that, too (Asians’ higher propensity to cut lines). In Europe, I noticed that the people most likely to respect queues are those who come from English-speaking countries. Oh, and the Japanese. :)

  17. usually i just go down if a cabbie asks for outrageous fares, but i would most definitely try the not closing the door bit the other commenters advised. best cabbies for me so far are from baguio, ibabalik kahit 25 cents na lang yung sukli mo.

  18. Cab companies or the Department of Tourism with the LTO should probably give a short orientation course to cab drivers when they take their cabbie license. They are the first faces that welcome visitors to the country and it would serve well to give a good first impression on how they greet and behave towards passengers.

    On our last night in Cape Town ZA on a recent visit, a gentle man of Malay Indian heritage was our cab driver. Our destination being a good distance away from center city, we asked what our fare would be to the suburb. He quoted an approximate amount which we thought was fair, having been informed previously about the ongoing rate. On arrival at the guest house, we asked him again how much we owed him as he had his meter turned off. I was struck by his kind demeanor and his reply that he was willing to take whatever we gave him. He welcomed us to his city and that he hoped we enjoyed our visit. It was indeed a very pleasant goodbye memory in post apartheid South Africa. He may be unschooled but he behaved in a very fine manner to us , guests of his city.

    I wish more of our cabbies would behave in a similar way towards their passengers at the same time that they collect an honest fare.

  19. My cab story is not about the unfair fares cab drivers charge us. My story is about a psycho cab driver who made me really angry. This happened awhile ago, maybe 15 years. I hailed a cab at UP Diliman to take me home somewhere along Panay Avenue. We were caught up in traffic at Quezon Ave. near EDSA. While waiting for the traffic to move, the cabbie told me he was an informant for the NBI and proceeded to show me his gun. I wanted to throttle him but he had the gun. Long story short, I told him to drive me to SM North. I didn’t want him to know where I lived.

  20. I have done the same thing here in NYC. I filed a complaint to a taxi driver who refused to take me to another borough, and as a result, he was fined $500 (2 more complaint and he will loss he’s very precious medallion).

    Thank you for posting this Mr. MM. I’m glad that taxis in Cebu have similar policy as taxis here in NYC. The numbers you posted are very helpful. I wonder where can I get the same info for taxis in Manila.

  21. How come it’s in our culture now to cheat others if you can get away with it. So sad what our country and society has come down to.

  22. I believe that it was my email who prompted you to have this Taxi post. Thank you very much. I already sent email/complaint to Cebu Tourism Office, too bad there’s no email address for LTFRB in Cebu. I will never ever let this incident pass just like that. This is not about the Php300 i lost for a supposed to be Php50 something cab fare. This is about getting rid of this type of taxi driver and operators who tolerated their employee even if someone complain. But wait, come to think of it that, Php300 can give me a good Zubuchon meal :)

  23. I feel safer calling one of the cab companies for cab rides, rather than hailing one on the road. For one, I know that the operator jots down my contacts, so I could easily file a complaint should the need arise (although i never had an unpleasant experience with their drivers). Number two, I know that the particular cab company checks the blood pressures of their drivers before letting them out on the road. And number three, I once called the company at a particular time in the morning, and was asked to call back after a few minutes — since they were still having their morning prayers. =)

  24. I agree with you that commuters must assert their rights, rather than just complain AFTER THE FACT. It is also unfair for a tourist having a bad experience to generalize. As you said, only 5-10% are bad apples. Having said so, I did not have a bad experience with cab drivers during our recent trip to Cebu (except for one who tried to negotiate a fixed fee in the drive going in and out our resort in Mactan; fixed fee plus P50!) I am bound to have a worse experience in Manila. In cases where I don’t drive, I always carry with me a pepper spray…you never know in these parts!

  25. i thank my lucky stars that in Bacolod 95% of taxi drivers automatically use the meter without being asked… because

    1. halos everyone knows how much their destination would cost, so like some taxi companies who have unmetered taxis to fetch you from home, so you can just give him your honest estimated cost based on the distance.

    2. a lot of taxis have receipt-producing meters, so you can ask for one if need be

    3. bacolod is such a small place that you can get to from end to end in 15mins tops, so they’re hoping for more passenger quantity (for that minimum P40fare) rather than haggle on the distance…

  26. On the whole, my taxi experiences in Cebu have been without major incidents; Manila is a different kettle of fish as I do not speak Tagalog, but here is an amusing recent incident:
    I was stuck and a little lost in pouring rain, coming out of a mall in Makati one early evening. No taxi even bothered to look into my direction, so I was soaked. By chance I came across 2 SWAT members with dogs and asked them for directions. Well, after a short while, one of them called over a taxi and, pointing his rifle at the driver, told me to get in. Upon giving the destination, I was wished farewell by the two. The ride was without further incidents or murmur :)

  27. Do cabs still operate on “boundary”? I think that antiquated business model is the culprit in perpetuating the atrocities that cab drivers inflict on their passengers. Remove the cab driver’s fears of earning a decent wage for the day and you make it easier to eventually correct the deceit and tricks.

  28. Taxi drivers in Baguio and Davao are one of the best in the country. In Baguio, taxi drivers would try to give your change up to the last centavo. In Davao, taxi drivers’ IDs are almost the size of a short bond paper! you would not miss their names and home address. Here in Manila are the worst,there are good ones but perhaps very few, according to my experiences of course.

  29. Line cutters are the sons and grandsons of anarchy.

    A nun tried to cut in line over my friend and my friend protested loudly. The nun said, “But I’m a nun!” My friend replied, “But I’m pregnant!” (Which she was not.)

    I’ve had good experiences with Cebu taxi drivers who will give you change to the centavo. As for Manila, I know flag down rates haven’t changed. From Pasig to Makati it used to cost P80 by meter. Now from the same origin to Pioneer, it costs me P80 as well. You have to wonder. Time space warp?

  30. hmmpp… speaking of taxi charges i was charged 500 pesos in manila way back october 2010 and the distance is just around 5-10 kilometers that i think is near..

  31. I’m probably dating myself here, but I remember when cab rides from the Makati CBD all the way to UP Diliman cost less than PHP 100. And that’s during the morning rush, when the whole trip took less than an hour. Even back then, though, a lot of cab drivers engaged in questionable behavior. When it rained and traffic slowed to a crawl, sometimes you had to wave 20, 50, or even 100-peso bills in the air to even just flag a taxi down.

  32. Ah, Manila taxi drivers… best tool of other competing nations’ tourist campaigns, methinks. I’ve persuaded many non-Pinoy colleagues to spend their R&Rs in the Philippines and all but one complained about being duped by our cab drivers (in Manila). They said our country is wonderful but make excuses not to return…I seriously think our horrible drivers are the culprits. How tragic.

  33. The only time I have had trouble getting a taxi is when going to Tondo. They are hesitant to go because they will not be likely to get a fare back out. It does not bother me because I know the price of fuel vs. the fare is a very small margin for the drivers.

  34. Mart, it would seem that is the solution. Mind you,it is easier said than done. LOL

    As an aside, I really like taxi blogs and I often delve through them for stories, insights and absolutely wonderful photos.There are some wonderful bloggers driving cabs in NYC and they are worth reading for deep stomach giggles and gurgles.

  35. My impulse is to “Like” this (so I can share this with everyone.), but I don’t see any Facebook buttons on here….

  36. Re queues and line-cutting: interesting that during the Love Bus era, everyone (including me) would patiently fall in line, wait and not dare cut!

  37. Same thing happened to me and one of my staff the other day. We arrived at the NAIA airport and took a yellow metered cab to Century Park Hotel in Vito Cruz, just across the CCP. We were busy talking and it wasn’t till we were at Roxas Blvd that I noticed that the meter was not ticking. I pointed this out to the driver and he said it was on but the display was busted. When we got to the hotel, the driver wanted to drop us off across the hotel and did not want to go up to the entrance. I insisted to be dropped off at the lobby entrance because we had heavy bags. When we got there, he told us the fare was 350. I point blank told him I would not pay him 350 because I had taken the same route many times before and the fate was usually between 140 to 160. He reluctantly accepted the 150 I gave him and we got out of the cab. I told the security personnel of the hotel to get the cab’s plate number. When the driver noticed that the security was taking down the plate number, he hurriedly got out of the cab and offered the 150 back to me saying he forgot to turn on his meter. Anyway, that cab driver is going to get what he deserves when I go to the airport for my return flight home to Cebu tomorrow and I will lodge a complaint with the airport taxi services.

  38. Thanks for this post. I usually slam the door for those taxi drivers who refuse and / or asking for additional fare. I have to try not closing the door yet. This is my take on Cebu taxi service. Maybe you can solicit from your Cebu readers what TAXI companies are deserving for our patronage: mine is KEN, Richielda, and Juscar, to name a few, for consistency in their fare/meters.

    I try to avoid CTC, EC and CITRASCO/VUDTRASCO. Before the 30 pesos flagdown rate EC (and Spider) was infamous of their tampered meter. I was expecting too much from CITRASCO/VUDTRASCO since they are a Cooperative type but was disappointed that their fare is also not par with KEN & Richielda (SM -Consolacion is 131-138 but for a tampered meter the fare will reach 160 or more). We also tried to avoid Taxis with old drivers, they tend to be maru (silent but scheming) remnant from the 80s where the practice is haggling for price avoiding the use of meters in the process.

    Be wary also of taxi drivers who are overly friendly/engaging in talk. It may be their scheme to erase their guilt of having a tampered meter.

    Common reasons of taxi drivers when I complained of an over charging in fare is that they are only an EXTRA and the original driver is on Day-Off thus they are not keen on the difference/aware of the fast meter; or they just have it fixed and may go back to LTO to have it fixed again. One CITRASCO/VUDTRASCO driver have the gall to insist on their meter to be ok since the owner is from LTO? That’s a pretty good reason they (the owners w/ LTO connection) are doing the tampering since they are in authority (as they are insiders) and could think they could do away with the tampering.

    Cebu taxi drivers are generally honest with the sukli, they tend to give you the right change while Manila taxi drivers would not care.

    My impression for Cagayan de Oro taxi meter reading/fare is it’s more fast/expensive than Cebu/Manila. Their local LTO would have tolerated this? or they have a different meter/fare calibration standard? E.g. NAIA2-Quezon Ave meter reading would be 230-250 while CdO Airport to downtown is 200-250? I have to check on google map but my guts is that the distance is not the same thus the impression.

  39. I ride the taxi with my son everyday.our city officials finally had their nuerons working to scrap the old taxi terminal beside the city dump and organize an accessibl. e and functional taxi terminal manned by the city traffic enforcers specifically designated to assist taxi riding public. The enforcers logs every taxi in a book and also give the commuter a sheet of paper with all the info of the taxi. They are also very helpful in filing complaints against abusive drivers and ban the taxi in the terminal. commuters are not allowed to flag the taxi along the road near the terminal. This totally eliminates abusive taxi drivers in our area. But, I am still not that satisfied. I can be patient and give tips, but I can not stand smelly drivers and dirty cabs.

  40. But what about the very stinky taxi seat covers? This is one of my major pet peeves. Me and my son would bet on the degree of seat cover smell everytime we hail a taxi cab during my Philippine vacation 3 months ago. Stinky taxi seats ruins my day more than the taxi fare tug o wars.

  41. depending on my time and mood and destination…

    when the guy is not starting the meter, i tell him 3 times – then i either want to go out of the car without paying or let him continue the ride and pay him about the amount which it should have been.
    means if you stop in front of greenbelt, a hotel or any other “official” building they wont argue with anyway.

    but my most loved ones are if you check the gasoline tank meter and see its already nearly empty – ask the driver if he really thinks thats enough – he tell “yes sir of course” and after a while you have to park sideways somewhere because of course the gasoline was not enough…

  42. My best taxi experience is in Baguio. They will give exact change. In Manila, I always call MGE, RENO, R&E or DOLLAR taxi for cab services

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