Cab Driver Defies P10 Flag Down Fare Cut, Threatens Passenger with Knife

A passenger on Tuesday sought the help of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) after a taxi driver in the city refused to honor the P10 flag down reduction and even threatened him with a knife.

LTFRB 7 Director Rey Elnar identified the complainant as Dave Horca, who rode an SC Taxi with body number 0112 from Escario Street to the Cebu I.T.

In his Facebook account, Horca posted Monday evening what happened to him and his wife that night.

He said that at 9:05 p.m., he and his wife asked for a P10 refund after the driver charged them the amount reflected in the non-recalibrated taxi meter, having known of the LTFRB announcement that the flag down rate should already be P30 instead of P40 starting Monday.

The driver, he said, got angry and became hostile when they insisted on the P10.

He said the driver took two P5 coins and threw these to them and took a knife.

He said they were able to get out of the taxi and ran towards the i3 building at the Cebu I.T. Park in Barangay Lahug, Cebu City.

The guards let them in, he said, because the driver chased them.

Horca said he already had the incident recorded at the Mabolo Police Station and that he is determined to pursue the filing of a criminal complaint against the driver.

He is also already establishing the identity of the driver with the help of a friend who knows the owner of the taxicab.

Director Elnar said he already sent a summons for the operator of SD Taxi to present before his office the driver who is the subject of the complaint.

The LTFRB 7 implemented a P10 reduction of the P40 flagdown rate of all taxicabs in Central Visayas starting Monday. (PNA) CTB/EB