We commend Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya for recognizing the ingenuity of entrepreneurial mobile app taxicab-for-hires like Uber (“Revolutionary colorum,” Opinion, 11/28/14). This may yet revolutionize our public transport industry into providing our riding public comfortable, convenient and safe rides. Not only that, also courteous and thoughtful drivers—and all this on affordable rates. Such service will doubtless significantly help promote Philippine tourism.
Ideas and practices, along with technologies that can move the country forward, should be encouraged, adopted and rewarded—not penalized. People in government must bear in mind that it is the public interest they must serve and protect, above all.
Just recently, we had a weeklong workshop at Ateneo de Manila University in Loyola Heights. When the workshop ended and we were eager to go home, we checked out as soon as we could and walked all the way from our lodging house to Katipunan where we waited quite a while for an empty cab on a Friday-night rush hour to take us to the bus terminal. You can imagine the experience we had with cab drivers who either snubbed us, or rejected us, or imposed “conditions”—in other words, treated us rudely and haughtily.
As a commuter, I fully agree with the position of Secretary Abaya because it is clearly in pursuance of his department’s mandate of delivering public service to the riding public. The interest of the complaining taxi operators must be considered, but taxi operation is impressed with public interest that is superior to personal or business interests. Also, taxi operators must realize that they are in a competitive environment where operational efficiency, passenger convenience, the roadworthiness of vehicles and courteous drivers are critical factors in drawing customers.
We hope that the officials and employees of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board will listen to and learn from their transportation chief on this matter and immediately take bold steps to remove dilapidated taxicabs from the streets and not dilly-dally in instituting innovative, revolutionary measures that clearly benefit the riding public.
We trust that with Secretary Abaya heading the transportation department, we will see a revolution in the transport service industry that will make the riding public smile.
—KRISTINE R. LIZARDO, MSHRM,
faculty member, tourism,
Ateneo de Naga University